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<title>P. v. Joiner </title>
<description>  In this case appellant Charles Joiner was found to be a sexually violent predator (SVP) within the meaning of the Sexually Violent Predators Act (Welf. &amp; Inst. Code, Â§ 6600 et seq. (SVPA)).  On appeal he attacks the trial court's rulings and the jury's verdict on a number of grounds.  We reverse and remand for further proceedings.
            As we explain it is not clear from the record the trial court understood it had the power to enter a verdict in favor of Joiner in the event the trial court determined that following the first trial of the People's petition the People failed to present sufficient evidence of Joiner's status as an SVP. </description>
<link>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/p-v-joiner-51356.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:57:54 GMT</pubDate>
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</head><br /><body><br /><div><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><b >P. v. Joiner</b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>Filed<br />9/21/12  P. v. Joiner<br />CA4/1<br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b >NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS</b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/>California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts<br />and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or<br />ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b).  This opinion has not been certified for<br />publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115<b<br />>.</b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT<br /><br/> <br /><br/>DIVISION ONE<br /><br/> <br /><br/>STATE OF CALIFORNIA<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=624<br />><br /><tr ><br /><td width=336 valign=top ><br /><br/>THE<br />PEOPLE,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            Plaintiff and Respondent,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            v.<br /><br/> <br /><br/>CHARLES<br />JOINER,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            Defendant and Appellant.<br /><br/> <br /></td><br /><td width=288 valign=top ><br /><br/>  D056622<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>  (Super. Ct.<br />No. MH101115)<br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table><br /><br/> <br /><br/>            APPEAL from<br />a judgment of the Superior Court<br />of <a<br />href="http://www.adrservices.org/neutrals/frederick-mandabach.php">San Diego<br />County</a>, Leo Valentine, Jr., Judge.  Reversed and remanded.<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            In this<br />case appellant Charles Joiner was found to be a <a<br />href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">sexually violent predator</a> (SVP) within<br />the meaning of the Sexually Violent Predators Act (Welf. & Inst. Code,<br />§ 6600 et seq. (SVPA)).  On appeal<br />he attacks the trial court's rulings and the jury's verdict on a number of<br />grounds.  We reverse and remand for<br />further proceedings.<br /><br/>            As we explain it is not clear from the record the trial<br />court understood it had the power to enter a verdict in favor of Joiner in the<br />event the trial court determined that following the first trial of the People's<br />petition the People failed to present sufficient evidence of Joiner's status as<br />an SVP.<br /><br/>FACTUAL<br />AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND<br /><br/>            1.  <i<br />>Sexual Assault History</i><br /><br/>            a.  <i<br />>Frances B.</i><br /><br/>            On December 31,<br />1979, Joiner raped an acquaintance, Frances B.  Joiner drove Frances<br />to a dark and secluded place, where he made sexual advances on her and she<br />resisted.  In response, Joiner slapped Frances<br />three times, threw her against his car, threw her to the ground, and choked<br />her.  After threatening her, Joiner then<br />raped Frances.  After being raped, Frances<br />tried to escape from Joiner by jumping over a fence.  In doing so she severed a finger and Joiner was<br />able to recapture her and take her back to his car.<br /><br/>            As a result of his assault on Frances,<br />Joiner was charged with kidnapping, forcible rape and forcible oral<br />copulation.  Joiner was allowed to plead<br />guilty to kidnapping in exchange for the prosecutor's agreement to dismiss the<br />other charges.<br /><br/>            b.  <i<br />>Jill H.</i><br /><br/>            Prior to December<br />12, 1980, Joiner raped another acquaintance, Jill H.  On December<br />12, 1980, Joiner went to Jill's home, knocked on her front door and<br />told her "[Y]ou are out telling people I raped you.  We are going to make it happen."  Joiner then entered Jill's home, knocked her<br />to the floor, raped her and attempted to force her to orally copulate him.  Jill resisted and Joiner raped her a second<br />time.  Joiner's assault was interrupted<br />when another man entered the home and stopped Joiner.<br /><br/>            Joiner pled guilty to felony assault on Jill.<br /><br/>            c.  <i<br />>Patricia D.</i><br /><br/>            On July 4, 1984,<br />less than a year after being released on parole, Joiner attempted to rape a<br />neighbor, Patricia D., and force her to orally copulate him.  Joiner went to Patricia's house, made sexual<br />advances toward her, which she rejected. <br />In response, Joiner grabbed Patricia by the wrists, dragged her to her<br />bedroom, choked her and threatened to kill her and burn her house down if she<br />resisted.  After removing Patricia's<br />panty hose and panties, he discovered she was menstruating.  Patricia then informed Joiner she had<br />herpes.  When Joiner tried to force her<br />to orally copulate him, Patricia told him she had oral herpes as well.  Joiner then told her to call her doctor to<br />confirm she had herpes; while Joiner listened on a second telephone line,<br />Patricia was able to escape.<br /><br/>            As a result of the attack on Patricia, Joiner was<br />convicted of assault with intent to commit rape and assault with intent to<br />commit <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">oral copulation</a> and sentenced<br />to 11 years in prison.<br /><br/>            On March 18, 1997, following his release from prison for<br />the assault on Patricia, Joiner was convicted of <a<br />href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">second degree burglary</a> and again<br />sentenced to prison.<br /><br/>            2.  <i<br />>Trial Court Proceedings</i><br /><br/>            On May 2, 2007,<br />while Joiner was still incarcerated on the burglary conviction, the district<br />attorney filed a petition alleging Joiner is an SVP.  On August<br />17, 2007, the trial court found probable cause to believe Joiner is<br />an SVP.  (§ 6602.)<br /><br/>            The district attorney's petition was initially tried<br />between February 25, 2009<br />and March 10, 2009.  After three days of deliberation the jury<br />advised the trial court that it was hopelessly deadlocked and the trial court<br />declared a mistrial.  Thereafter Joiner's<br />counsel learned the jury voted eight to four in Joiner's favor.<br /><br/>            Following the mistrial, Joiner moved to dismiss the<br />petition on the grounds there was insufficient evidence to support it.  In particular, he vigorously attacked the<br />testimony of the two <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">expert witnesses</a><br />offered by the district attorney, Shoba Sreenivasan and Christopher<br />Matosich.  Joiner argued that although<br />the experts concluded that he suffered from paraphilia, their conclusions were<br />admittedly incomplete because Joiner had declined to be interviewed.  Joiner also pointed out the experts' opinions<br />were inconsistent in many respects with his behavior in prison and some aspects<br />of  the manner in which the predicate sex<br />offenses were committed, in particular his ability to control himself when<br />confronted with Patricia's claim she had herpes.  <br /><br/>            At the time the trial court ruled on Joiner's motion, it<br />made the following statement:  "So<br />let me state, based upon the status of this case before this Court, the<br />evidence that was received, that the trier of fact, the jurors, hung, and I<br />understand it was an eight-to-four of the petition not being true.  It appears that the evidence that was before<br />the jurors as related to the experts in the case, the jurors questioned the<br />value and the credibility of the expert opinion given that they were prepared<br />to, at least eight of them, dismiss this particular petition as not being true.<br /><br/>            "It must also be stated that subsequent to the jury<br />not being able to resolve the matter, that there has been communication to this<br />Court from third parties indicating that they have additional information<br />which, if in fact is true, appears to this Court to be material and relevant on<br />the issue of whether or not this petition is true.  That evidence seems to provide perspectives<br />and relevant material as it relates to whether or not Mr. Joiner would be a<br />threat to the community if he was released.<br /><br/>            "It appears to the Court it's germane on one prong<br />of the question that's before the trier of fact, and the Court believes that if<br />it's admitted and brought before the trier of fact, it very well may result in<br />a unanimous verdict of the petition not being true.<br /><br/>            "Now, having said that, I would indicate for the<br />record that given what this Court has heard, given the split in the jury not<br />being able to reach a decision, given the new information that's been provided<br />the Court, but for this Court believing it is without authority under Penal<br />Code section 1385 to dismiss this matter, the Court would strongly consider<br />granting respondent's motion.<br /><br/>            "I don't see that I have legal authority to do<br />so.  So if, in fact, the Court's in<br />error, I certainly would like the opportunity to reconsider that motion, but I<br />don't believe there's any authority that provides for this Court to dismiss<br />this matter on the basis of what has been brought to the Court.  So for that reason the Court denies the<br />motion."<br /><br/>            Joiner filed a petition for a writ of mandate challenging<br />the trial court's order, which we summarily denied on the grounds Joiner had an<br />adequate remedy by way of appeal. <br />Thereafter the district attorney's petition was tried a second time.    Sreenivasan and Matosich again testified<br />Joiner suffers from paraphilia, a sexual deviancy which manifests itself in<br />intense and recurrent fantasies, urges, and behaviors involving sexual acts<br />with nonconsenting partners.   Both<br />experts found traits of sexual sadism in the brutality, domination , containment<br />and choking Joiner used in his assaults. <br /><br/>            Both psychologists also again concluded Joiner was likely<br />to reoffend.  They based their respective<br />opinions on actuarial assessments which showed a moderate-to-high risk Joiner<br />would reoffend, the dynamic between Joiner's personality disorder and his<br />paraphilia, his criminal history, including his poor performance on parole, and<br />the continuous nature of his criminality. <br />At the second trial the jury unanimously determined Joiner is an<br />SVP.  Following the jury's verdict, the<br />trial court then entered an order committing Joiner to the Department of Mental<br />Health for an indeterminate life term.<br /><br/>            Joiner filed a timely <a<br />href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">notice of appeal</a>.<br /><br/>DISCUSSION<br /><br/>            The first issue Joiner raises on appeal is his contention<br />that following the mistrial the trial court erred in failing to grant his<br />motion to dismiss.  We asked the parties<br />for additional briefing with respect to whether, in light of the fact the<br />second jury eventually determined Joiner is an SVP, any failure to dismiss the<br />petition earlier is now moot.  We<br />conclude that in light of our summary dismissal of Joiner's petition for a writ<br />of mandate, the interests of justice require that we reach the merits of<br />Joiner's procedural claim.<br /><br/>I<br /><br/><i<br />>The Power to Terminate SVP Proceedings</i><br /><br/>The SVP<br />statute does not itself provide for dismissal of a petition following a finding<br />of probable cause.  (See <i<br />>Bagration v. Superior Court</i> (2003) 110<br />Cal.App.4th 1677, 1683-1684.)  However,<br />the Supreme Court has recognized the inherent power of courts to review and<br />determine questions of law when they arise under the SVP statute, even when a<br />mechanism for such review is not expressly set forth in the statute.  (See <i >People<br />v. Superior Court (Ghilotti)</i> (2002) 27 Cal.4th 888, 909-915.)<br /><br/>            In <i<br />>Ghilotti</i> a district attorney filed an<br />SVP petition which alleged that two expert evaluators had erroneously concluded<br />the inmate was not likely to reoffend. <br />The district attorney alleged the evaluators had erroneously interpreted<br />the level of risk required by the statute. <br />The trial court dismissed the petition as failing to meet the<br />requirements of section 6601, subdivisions (d) and (e) that it be supported by<br />two expert evaluations.  The Court of<br />Appeal denied the People's petition for a writ of mandate and the Supreme Court<br />granted review.  The Supreme Court agreed<br />that the People could not avoid the requirement that its petition be supported<br />by two expert evaluations but found the People could challenge the evaluators'<br />conclusions as to the level of risk required by the statute.  Although the statute provided no specific<br />means of making such a challenge, the court found inherent power in the trial<br />court to make such a legal determination. <br />"[T]he requirement that SVPA evaluators apply <i >criteria set forth in the statute</i> invokes the inherent judicial<br />power to determine whether an evaluator's recommendation stems, on its face,<br />from an inaccurate understanding of those criteria, and thus constitutes legal<br />error."  (<i >Ghilotti, supra</i>, 27 Cal.4th at p. 912.)  Thus, the court concluded the Director of the<br />Department of Corrections "cannot be powerless to take action for the<br />public safety when he disagrees, on legal grounds, with evaluators' conclusions<br />that a person does not meet the criteria for commitment or<br />recommitment."  (<i<br />>Ibid</i>.) <br />The Supreme Court found the People could file an SVP petition even<br />though the evaluators did not support it, the alleged SVP could challenge the<br />petition by way of a motion to dismiss, and in response the People could then<br />assert the evaluators' legal error.  (<i<br />>Ghilotti, supra</i>, 27 Cal.4th at pp.<br />912-913.)<br /><br/>            When the<br />People fail to present sufficient evidence of one or more of the elements<br />required for commitment as an SVP, plainly a question of law is presented.  (See <i >People<br />v. Mendoza</i> (2011) 52 Cal.4th 1056, 1079 [sufficiency of the evidence is a<br />question of law].)  It is axiomatic than<br />on appeal we have the power to determine, as a question of law, whether an SVP<br />commitment is supported by sufficient evidence. <br />(See <i >People v. Mercer</i> (1999)<br />70 Cal.App.4th 463, 466.)  We believe<br />that when, following presentation of the People's case at trial, the record<br />does not provide sufficient evidence of the elements required by the statute,<br />the trial court also has inherent power to act on such a question of law and<br />terminate proceedings on the People's petition in favor of the inmate.     Our<br />willingness to recognize such inherent power in the trial court is borne out of<br />both practical as well as analytical considerations.  In the unusual case where, notwithstanding a<br />finding of probable cause, it later turns out the case presented by the People<br />at trial is legally insufficient, it makes little sense to require that a jury<br />decide the issue and potentially leave the inmate with only an appellate remedy<br />as the means of correcting a legal error. <br />We do not believe the Legislature intended that the trial court be<br />unable to confront and determine pure questions of law in an expeditious<br />manner.<br /><br/>We recognize<br />that in <i >Bagration v. Superior Court,<br />supra,</i> 110 Cal.App.4th at pages 1687-1689, the court held that pretrial<br />determination of the legal sufficiency of a petition by way of a motion for<br />summary judgment is not permissible in an SVP proceeding because the reciprocal<br />pretrial discovery which is the predicate for summary judgment motions in civil<br />cases is not available under the SVPA. <br />We agree with the holding and reasoning of <i >Bagration</i>.  Here, however,<br />once the People have presented their case at trial, it is ripe for review of<br />its legal sufficiency without the need for any discovery or further<br />proceedings.<br /><br/>II<br /><br/><i >Remand</i><br /><br/>            In denying<br />Joiner's motion to dismiss, it does not appear the trial court believed it had<br />such inherent authority to dismiss the petition if it were to conclude that the<br />evidence that the People presented at trial was insufficient.  We believe the interests of justice will best<br />be served by giving the trial court an opportunity to fully consider Joiner's<br />argument in light of our conclusion that the trial court had the power to<br />review the sufficiency of the evidence presented at the first trial.  Thus, we will reverse the judgment of<br />commitment and remand so that the trial court can consider the merits of<br />Joiner's motion to dismiss.<a<br />href="#_ftn1"<br />name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a><br /><br/>            In the event the trial court determines there was<br />sufficient evidence presented at the first trial and that it properly denied<br />Joiner's motion in the first instance, the trial court is directed to enter<br />judgment on the second verdict.  In that<br />instance, Joiner may seek review of the trial court's ruling on the motion as<br />well as challenge errors he believes occurred during the second trial.<br /><br/>            In the event the trial court determines there was<br />insufficient evidence presented at the first trial, the trial court should<br />enter a verdict determining Joiner is not an SVP and a judgment in his favor on<br />the verdict.  The People may then<br />challenge that judgment on appeal; on such an appeal by the People, Joiner may<br />challenge errors which occurred in the second trial by way of a prophylactic<br />cross-appeal.<br /><br/>            We offer the following observations for the guidance of<br />the trial court and parties on remand. <br />The inherent power we have recognized here is quite limited and does not<br />give the trial court the power to weigh the evidence presented by the<br />People.  In determining the sufficiency<br />of evidence, the trial court must review the whole record in the light most<br />favorable to the People "and decide 'whether it discloses substantial<br />evidence . . . such that a reasonable trier of fact could<br />find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.'  [Citation.] <br />Under this standard, the court does not ' "ask itself whether <i<br />>it</i> believes that the evidence at the<br />trial established guilt beyond doubt." <br />[Citation.]  Instead, the relevant<br />question is whether, after reviewing the evidence in the light most favorable<br />to the prosecution, <i >any</i> rational<br />trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a<br />reasonable doubt.' <br />[Citation.]"  (<i<br />>People v. Hatch</i> (2000) 22 Cal.4th 260,<br />272.)<br /><br/>DISPOSITION<br /><br/>The judgment of commitment is<br />reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with the views we have<br />expressed.<br /><br/><u>                                                            </u><br /><br/>NARES, J.<br /><br/> <br /><br/>WE CONCUR:<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><u>                                                            </u><br /><br/>                         BENKE,<br />Acting P. J.<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><u>                                                            </u><br /><br/>                                         AARON,<br />J.<br /><br/> <br /></div><br /><div ><br clear=all><br /><hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><br /><div<br />id=ftn1><br /><br/><a<br />href="#_ftnref1"<br />name="_ftn1" title="">[1]</a>          In light of our disposition of Joiner's appeal, we need not<br />and do not consider the additional issues he has raised.<br /></div><br /></div><br /></body><br /></html><br />]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Parks v. Port of Oakland </title>
<description> 
            Appellant Sherri âEurœJeanâEur Parks is employed as a plumber by respondent Port of Oakland (Port).  She sued the Port for harassment on the basis of her gender and sexual orientation, for failure to prevent such harassment, and for retaliating against her after she complained of the harassment.  The trial court granted the PortâEur™s motion for summary adjudication of the harassment and failure to prevent harassment causes of action, but permitted the retaliation cause of action to proceed to trial.
            The jury found that the Port did not retaliate against Parks for complaining that she was being harassed.  Accordingly, the trial court entered judgment in favor of the Port.  It also denied ParksâEur™s postjudgment motion to tax costs.
            On appeal, Parks argues that the trial court erred in granting the PortâEur™s motion for summary adjudication (the PortâEur™s motion), and in sustaining one of the PortâEur™s objections to evidence Parks submitted in opposition to that motion.  Parks also contends that the trial court erred in permitting the Port to recover certain disputed cost items.  We agree that the excluded evidence was admissible for a limited purpose, but reject all of ParksâEur™s remaining contentions, and accordingly affirm both the judgment and the order denying the motion to tax costs. </description>
<link>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/parks-v-port-of-oakland-50023.html</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2012 20:29:44 GMT</pubDate>
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</head><br /><body><br /><div><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><b >Parks v. </b><b<br />>Port</b><b<br />> of </b><b<br />>Oakland</b><b<br />></b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>Filed 10/22/12  Parks v. Port of Oakland CA1/4<br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />>NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS</b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts<br />and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or<br />ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b).  This opinion has not been certified for<br />publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115<b<br />>.</b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>IN<br />THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA<br /><br/> <br /><br/>FIRST<br />APPELLATE DISTRICT<br /><br/> <br /><br/>DIVISION<br />FOUR<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0<br />><br /><tr ><br /><td width=319 valign=top ><br /><br/><st2:GivenName>SHERRI</st2:GivenName><br /><st2:middlename>â€œJEANâ€</st2:middlename> <st2:Sn>PARKS</st2:Sn>,<br /><br/>            Plaintiff and Appellant,<br /><br/>v.<br /><br/>PORT<br />OF OAKLAND,<br /><br/>            Defendant and Respondent.<br /></td><br /><td width=319 valign=top ><br /><br/> <br /><br/>      A131903 & A132101<br /><br/>      (consolidated)<br /><br/> <br /><br/>      (Alameda<br />County<br /><br/>      Super. Ct.<br />No. RG07361568)<br /><br/> <br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table><br /><br/> <br /><br/>            Appellant <st2:GivenName>Sherri</st2:GivenName><br /><st2:middlename>â€œJeanâ€</st2:middlename> <st2:Sn>Parks</st2:Sn> is<br />employed as a plumber by respondent Port<br />of Oakland (Port).  She sued the Port for harassment on the basis<br />of her gender and sexual orientation, for failure to prevent such harassment,<br />and for retaliating against her after she complained of the <a<br />href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">harassment</a>.  The trial court granted the Portâ€™s motion for<br />summary adjudication of the harassment and failure to prevent harassment causes<br />of action, but permitted the retaliation cause of action to proceed to trial.<br /><br/>            The jury<br />found that the Port did not retaliate against Parks for complaining that she<br />was being harassed.  Accordingly, the<br />trial court entered judgment in favor of the Port.  It also denied Parksâ€™s postjudgment motion to<br />tax costs.<br /><br/>            On appeal,<br />Parks argues that the trial court erred in granting the Portâ€™s motion for<br />summary adjudication (the Portâ€™s motion), and in sustaining one of the Portâ€™s<br />objections to evidence Parks submitted in opposition to that motion.  Parks also contends that the trial court<br />erred in permitting the Port to recover certain disputed cost items.  We agree that the excluded evidence was<br />admissible for a limited purpose, but reject all of Parksâ€™s remaining<br />contentions, and accordingly affirm both the judgment and the order denying the<br />motion to tax costs.<br /><br/>Facts and Procedural Background<br /><br/>            Parks has<br />over 20 years of experience as a plumber.<a<br />href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>  She began working for the Portâ€™s harbor<br />facilities maintenance department on June 4, 2001.  Mike Ringbom, Parksâ€™s direct supervisor at<br />the Port, described her as â€œthe best technical plumber [he has] ever known,â€<br />and characterized her skills and work as â€œexcellent.â€  The Portâ€™s February 2006 performance<br />evaluation of Parks rated the quality of her work, her dependability, and her<br />initiative and ingenuity as â€œabove standard,â€ a rating reflecting â€œexceptional<br />performance.â€  (Original capitals<br />omitted.)<br /><br/>            Parks is<br />the only female plumber employed by the Port, and during the time she has<br />worked at the Port, it has employed very few tradeswomen.  Parks is openly lesbian, and describes<br />herself as not trying to conform to female gender stereotypes in appearance or<br />behavior.  Parks describes herself as a<br />union supporter and activist, has participated in at least one union protest at<br />the Port, and has frequently used the grievance procedure provided for by her<br />union contract to challenge actions of supervisors and managers that she<br />considered discriminatory or unfair.<br /><br/>            Parks<br />considers her method of communication to be â€œdirect,â€ like that of her male<br />coworkers.  Her supervisors, however,<br />have described her attitude on the job as â€œstrident,â€ â€œbelligerent,â€ â€œopenly<br />aggressive,â€ â€œinsubordinate,â€ â€œemotional,â€ â€œdisrespectful,â€ and â€œunnecessarily<br />adversarial.â€<br /><br/>            In October<br />2007, Parks filed a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment<br />and Housing (DFEH) alleging <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">discrimination<br />and harassment</a> on the basis of gender and sexual orientation in connection<br />with her employment at the Port, as well as retaliation against her by the Port<br />for complaining internally about these matters.<a<br />href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</a>  On December 17, 2007, Parks filed a complaint<br />against the Port in the Alameda County Superior Court, pleading four causes of<br />action under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA, Gov. Code,<br />§ 12900 et seq.): (1) gender harassment; (2) sexual orientation<br />harassment; (3) failure to prevent discrimination and harassment,<a<br />href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title="">[3]</a><br />and (4) retaliation.<br /><br/>            On June 10,<br />2009, Parks filed a second complaint with DFEH alleging retaliation for the<br />filing of her prior DFEH complaint and her lawsuit, and denial of equal pay on<br />the basis of sex.  Parks received a<br />right-to-sue letter, and on September 21, 2009, she filed an amended complaint,<br />which pleaded the same causes of action as the original complaint, but added<br />allegations about events alleged to have occurred during the pendency of the<br />litigation.<br /><br/>            The Portâ€™s<br />motion was filed on September 15, 2009.<a<br />href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title="">[4]</a>  It sought summary judgment, or in the<br />alternative, summary adjudication as to each of Parksâ€™s causes of action.  The evidence submitted in support of and in<br />response to the Portâ€™s motion involved the incidents and Port practices<br />described below, which we have grouped into categories and arranged<br />chronologically within each category, so as to summarize the factual basis for<br />Parksâ€™s contention that she raised <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">triable<br />issues</a> of fact with regard to her causes of action for harassment based on<br />gender and sexual orientation.<a<br />href="#_ftn5"<br />name="_ftnref5" title="">[5]</a>  For the most part, as will appear from our<br />recitation below, the historical facts are not in dispute, at least for the<br />purpose of the Portâ€™s motion; rather, the disputes involve the motive or intent<br />that may be inferred from those facts.<br /><br/>1. <b ><u>Offensive jokes about women</u></b>: <br />Parks alleges that in the work environment at the Port, â€œoffensive,<br />sexist jokesâ€ about â€œwomen and womenâ€™s genitaliaâ€ were generally tolerated and<br />â€œendemic.â€  However, Parks was only able<br />to provide one specific example of this conduct in her discovery<br />responses.  The example was an incident<br />that occurred in approximately July 2001, shortly after Parks began working at<br />the Port.  Carl Fill, a foreman in the<br />utilities department, told a joke in the lunchroom involving an engineer and a<br />bar, with the word â€œpussyâ€ (in its slang meaning, referring to womenâ€™s<br />genitalia) in the punchline.  The<br />audience for Fillâ€™s joke was a group of Port employees and supervisors that<br />included Tim Mogle and Al Avendano. <br />Parks did not report this, but told Fill at the time that she did not<br />appreciate the joke, and that it was not funny. <br />She did not recall how Fill responded.<br /><br/>2. <b ><u>Derogatory comments based on gender</u></b>:  Parks identified the following specific<br />examples of derogatory comments about women by male workers at the Port during<br />the course of her employment there.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Carl Fill</i>: Fill was Parksâ€™s foreman when<br />she started working at the Port.  Until<br />Fillâ€™s retirement in 2004, Fill frequently made derogatory comments about women<br />to Parks or in her presence, some of which Dave Cuthbertson witnessed.  Cuthbertson was the direct supervisor of<br />Fill, and then of Ringbom when the latter succeeded Fill as Parksâ€™s<br />foreman.  Cuthbertson was aware that Fill<br />made derogatory sexual comments in the workplace, and told Fill he did not like<br />him doing so, but did not discipline Fill for this behavior.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>Ivan Taylor</i>: In the winter of 2002, Port<br />plumber Ivan Taylor told Parks that she â€œdidnâ€™t know anything before [she]<br />workedâ€ at the Port.  Parks did not<br />complain about this statement to anyone.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Complaint to Cuthbertson</i>: In December<br />2003, Parks went to Cuthbertson to complain about unfair work assignments,<a<br />href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title="">[6]</a><br />and in the course of their conversation, mentioned that someone had made a<br />sexist remark to her.  Cuthbertson said<br />â€œhe would take care of it,â€ and asked who had made the remark.  Parks declined to identify the culprit.  At her deposition, Parks explained that she<br />wanted to keep the conversation focused on her complaint about work<br />assignments, and she thought Cuthbertson knew that she was talking about Fill.  Fill was â€œknown as a womanizer and regularly<br />said derogatory statements about women and came on to women.â€  Parks believed Cuthbertson knew this, â€œwanted<br />to get rid ofâ€ Fill, and was â€œready to jump on itâ€ when Parks complained.<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>Curtis Johnson</i>: In the summer of 2006,<br />Port contractor Curtis Johnson said to Parks, â€œI hate women.â€  As a contractor, Johnson was not an employee<br />of the Port.<br /><br/>e. <i<br />>Ringbomâ€™s Use of â€œBitchâ€</i>: In December<br />2007, at a morning crew meeting, Ringbom used the expression â€œtheir bitchâ€ to<br />denigrate the members of a club associated with the Hellâ€™s Angels.  Parks complained about this remark to Port<br />management, but did not receive any response.<br /><br/>f. <i<br />>Cuthbertson</i>: Dave Cuthbertson, the<br />utilities supervisor at the Port, has referred to Parks as his â€œfavorite female<br />plumber.â€  In addition, on one occasion,<br />Parks observed Cuthbertson intervening in a discussion among Port workers about<br />a newspaper article and â€œturn[ing] it toward lewd remarks regarding back page<br />ads for women who work in the sex industry.â€   Cuthbertson did not recall making any such<br />remarks, but stated that if he did, they were not directed at Parks.  Parks complained about this incident to Port<br />management, but did not receive any response. <br /><br/>3.   <b ><u>Derogatory<br />comments based on sexual orientation</u></b>: <br />Parks characterized the â€œbitchâ€ remark and the conversation about<br />newspaper ads for the sex industry, discussed <i >ante</i>, as derogatory based on sexual orientation as well as<br />gender.  In addition, Parks gave two<br />examples of derogatory remarks regarding sexual orientation made by Port<br />workers.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Tim Mogle</i>: Parks asserted that in<br />October 2004, while she was on vacation, she was the subject of â€œvicious<br />gossipâ€ about her sexual orientation, in that when someone asked where she was,<br />temporary Port worker Tim Mogle â€œresponded with an obscene gesture of his<br />tongue between his fingers.â€  Julius<br />Perkins, a coworker, told Parks about the incident after she returned from<br />vacation.  Some time later, Parks opined<br />to Tadeusz (Ted) Mankowski, the harbor facilities manager, that Mogle was<br />homophobic, as well as having â€œrace issuesâ€ and being â€œderogatory to women,â€<br />but she did not mention the obscene gesture or any other specific<br />incident.  The Port later hired Mogle to<br />work at the Oakland International Airport, which the Port also manages.  Parks told Mankowski she objected to the Port<br />hiring Mogle because of his past homophobic, sexist, and racist behavior, but<br />Mogle was hired despite this.  Mogle did<br />not have supervisory authority at the Port.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>â€œMan Codeâ€</i>: In December 2007, at a<br />morning crew meeting, Ringbom referred to a â€œman codeâ€ precluding men from<br />sharing an umbrella.  Parks interpreted<br />this reference as homophobic.  Parks<br />complained about this remark to Port management, but did not receive any<br />response.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Bulletin Board Postings</i>: In July 2009,<br />someone posted a document on the bulletin board outside Cuthbertsonâ€™s office<br />pointing out that after the federal government seized the Mustang Ranch<br />brothel, the government was unable to operate it successfully.  The document, which remained posted for about<br />two weeks, concluded that â€œNow we are trusting the economy of our country and<br />our banking system to the same nit-wits who couldnâ€™t make money running a whore<br />house and selling whiskey!â€  Also, in<br />October 2009, someone posted a document on the bulletin board in the Port workersâ€™<br />lunchroom that was used by the Port to post official announcements.  The printout was entitled â€œ22 Ways to Be a<br />Good Liberal Democrat,â€ and included statements that â€œYou have to believe that<br />gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural,â€ and â€œYou have to<br />believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality<br />should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be<br />illegal.â€  Parks took photographs of the<br />document and showed them to the Portâ€™s Office of Equal Opportunity, but the<br />document remained on the bulletin board for at least a month.<br /><br/>4. <b ><u>Unequal Restroom and Locker Room Facilities</u></b>:  The Port provides male and female employees<br />with separate restrooms and adjacent locker rooms.  Parksâ€™s sex discrimination claim included<br />several issues regarding the womenâ€™s facilities.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Entry by male janitors</i>: The womenâ€™s<br />restroom was not private, in that it was used by male janitorial staff as a<br />means of access to the womenâ€™s locker room. <br />The male foreman of the Portâ€™s contracted janitorial crew admitted that<br />he occasionally entered the womenâ€™s restroom at the Port, but denied that he<br />did so when female Port employees were using it.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>Intrusions by Ringbom</i>: Ringbom â€œsought<br />conversation with [Parks] while she was using the toilet,â€ and on more than one<br />occasion, put his foot in the locker room door to keep it open so he could talk<br />to her while she was inside.  This<br />behavior made Parks uncomfortable with using the womenâ€™s locker room.  Ringbom remembered only one such incident,<br />during which he recalled standing in the hallway outside the womenâ€™s locker<br />room, knocking on the door, and speaking to Parks, who he thought was just<br />washing her hands.  The Port did not<br />dispute Parksâ€™s contention that this was not the only time Ringbom intruded<br />upon Parks while she was using the womenâ€™s locker room.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Work uniforms</i>: Extra work uniforms for<br />male employees were stored in unused lockers in the womenâ€™s locker room.  Sign-out sheets indicating that a uniform had<br />been issued to a particular employee, whose signature appeared on the sheet,<br />were taped to the doors of the lockers. <br />Parks concluded from this that the Port was permitting male employees to<br />enter the womenâ€™s locker room to obtain uniforms, but did not aver that she had<br />actually seen them do so.  Joni Mantino,<br />the female Port employee who handles the uniforms, denied that men entered the<br />womenâ€™s locker room to try them on, explaining that she brings the uniforms out<br />to the male employees.  Mantino did not<br />explain, however, how the menâ€™s signatures came to be on papers located inside<br />the womenâ€™s locker room.  Parks also had<br />a separate problem with her own uniforms being repeatedly delivered to the<br />menâ€™s locker room after they were laundered. <br />Parks found it embarrassing and humiliating to have to go to the menâ€™s<br />locker room to pick up her uniform.  She<br />eventually stopped using the Portâ€™s uniform service, and purchased and<br />laundered her own uniforms.<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>Supply storage</i>: The womenâ€™s restroom<br />facilities were not fully available for a period of time, because the<br />janitorial staff admittedly stored supplies in the womenâ€™s locker room,<br />requiring Parks to turn sideways to enter, and precluding her from sitting<br />down.  The cleaning agents and dirty mops<br />used by the janitorial staff made the womenâ€™s locker room unusable on occasion.<br /><br/>e. <i<br />>Bad odor</i>: There were â€œnoxious fumesâ€ in<br />the womenâ€™s restroom which Parks had not observed to be present in the menâ€™s<br />facilities when she entered them to fix plumbing.  According to Mantino, however, the same odor<br />was also present in the menâ€™s room, and steps were taken to address the problem<br />in both restrooms.  Parks did not dispute<br />this.<br /><br/>5. <b ><u>Unfair Performance Evaluations</u></b>:  Parks received performance evaluations that<br />she believed were unfair in January, February, October, and December 2006, and<br />January 2008.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>January 2006</i>: The January 2006<br />evaluation,<a<br />href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7"<br />title="">[7]</a> though<br />very complimentary of Parksâ€™s technical skills and work habits, described Parks<br />as â€œstrident,â€ â€œdisrespectful,â€ and â€œbelligerent,â€ and rated her â€œshort of<br />standardâ€ in the categories of â€œcooperation and relationships with peopleâ€ and<br />â€œability as supervisor.â€  The Portâ€™s<br />previous evaluations of Parks, while she was working under a different<br />supervisor, Mitch Segal, had rated her as standard or above standard in the<br />same categories.  Although the January<br />2006 evaluation stated that Parks was well liked by her colleagues, it also<br />described her as being â€œinsultingâ€ to them. <br />Cuthbertson believed the evaluation was accurate, and denied that it was<br />based on Parksâ€™s gender or sexual orientation.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>February 2006</i>: In February 2006, Parks<br />attended a meeting with Cuthbertson, Ringbom, and Joni Mantino, facilities<br />support supervisor, to discuss the January 2006 evaluation.  At that meeting, Cuthbertson did not provide<br />Parks with specific examples of the behavior underlying the criticisms of her<br />in the January 2006 evaluation.  Parks<br />objected to attending a meeting with three management people without a union<br />representative present, and filed a grievance regarding this evaluation.  At another meeting about the same evaluation,<br />in June 2006, Mankowski criticized Parks for complaining about the possibility<br />that the Port would hire Mogle.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>December 2006</i>: Parks received â€œsimilar<br />unsupported criticismsâ€ in an evaluation dated November 2006, which she<br />received in December 2006.  In this<br />evaluation, while Parks was praised for the quality and quantity of her work,<br />she was rated â€œshort of standardâ€ for â€œcooperation and relationships with<br />people,â€ in part because of â€œcomplaints of [Parksâ€™s] conduct towards other<br />employees.â€<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>November 2007</i>: An evaluation dated<br />November 2007, which Parks did not receive until January 2008, rated Parks<br />below standard overall, even though she was rated standard in four of the<br />evaluation formâ€™s seven categories, and exceptional in one.  The two below standard (also defined as â€œneed<br />to improveâ€) ratings were for â€œwork habitsâ€ and for â€œcooperation and<br />relationships with people.â€  When Parks<br />met with Ringbom to discuss this evaluation, he declined to provide specific<br />examples regarding the criticisms.  Parks<br />stated in her discovery responses that at this meeting, Ringbom could not<br />explain why Parksâ€™s overall rating did not appear to reflect her ratings in<br />specific categories.  Ringbomâ€™s notes,<br />however, indicate that he explained he rated Parks â€œneed to improveâ€ overall,<br />despite her one â€œexceptionalâ€ rating, because her two ratings in that category<br />were â€œcloser to [u]nacceptable.â€  Ringbom<br />averred that he â€œbelieve[d] that [he] answered any questions raised by [Parks]<br />concerning her evaluation,â€ and denied that the evaluation was based on Parksâ€™s<br />gender or sexual orientation.<br /><br/>6. <b ><u>Unfair Discipline</u></b>: <br />Parks identified a number of incidents in which she believed the Port<br />had disciplined her unfairly, or threatened to do so.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Binder incident</i>: In November 2006, Parks<br />received a letter of warning for removing certain reference binders from<br />Ringbomâ€™s office without notifying him. <br />The binders were maintained for the use of Parks and her coworkers, who<br />confirmed Parksâ€™s understanding that workers were permitted to enter Ringbomâ€™s<br />office.  According to Parks, she called<br />Ringbom on the radio from his office to tell him that she had all the binders<br />except one, and to ask where the other one was. <br />Parks was later denied an extension of time to file a grievance<br />regarding the letter of warning.  Parks<br />acknowledged at her deposition that she had removed papers from the binders<br />without telling Ringbom she was doing so. <br />She said she returned the papers later, at Ringbomâ€™s request, but<br />admitted she was not sure she had returned all of them.  Parks acknowledged that Ringbomâ€™s request for<br />the return of the papers had nothing to do with her gender or sexual<br />orientation.  Ringbom stated that he<br />issued the letter of warning because of Parksâ€™s insubordination, not because of<br />her gender or sexual orientation.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>Written reprimand for confrontation</i>: On<br />January 3, 2007, Parks and Ringbom had an argumentative conversation during<br />which Parks called Ringbom a liar.  On<br />January 8, 2007, Ringbom issued a written reprimand stating that during this<br />conversation, Parks had been â€œcontentious, disrespectful and argumentative in a<br />public place and clearly insubordinate.â€ <br />The reprimand also stated that Parks had violated the Portâ€™s â€œWorkplace Security<br />Policy,â€ and had attached to it a copy of the Portâ€™s â€œWorkplace Violence<br />Policy.â€  It warned that supervisors were<br />required to report violations of these policies.  Parks filed a grievance regarding this reprimand.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Personal leave incident</i>: In January<br />2007, Ringbom told Parks he wanted to meet with her regarding her improper use<br />of personal leave.  Parks explained to<br />Ringbom that he was mistaken, and that she had not taken any improper personal<br />leave.  Ringbom agreed and apologized,<br />and the matter was dropped.  Parks<br />believed that Ringbom might have acted with a discriminatory motive.  There was â€œa continued pattern of scrutinyâ€<br />of Parks and her work, and it appeared to Parks that Ringbom â€œthought he could<br />get [Parks] on that, and he jumped on it before he looked at the time cards<br />fully.â€  Parks filed a grievance in<br />regard to this incident.<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>Suspension for union work</i>: In May 2007,<br />while at work on Port premises, Parks passed by some other employees who were<br />digging a trench, and had a brief conversation with one of them, Jim Kangas,<br />about whether a task he was performing should have been assigned to a<br />carpenter.  Other employees reported that<br />Millie Cleveland, a staff person from Parksâ€™s union, was involved in the<br />conversation.  As a result of this<br />incident, Mankowski suspended Parks for three days for doing union work on Port<br />time without informing her foreman, and then misreporting it on her<br />timecard.  At his deposition, however,<br />Mankowski could not identify how Parks had misreported anything on her time<br />card.  Parks filed a grievance regarding<br />this suspension.<br /><br/>e. <i<br />>Threatened reprimand</i>: In May 2007, on<br />Parksâ€™s first day back at work after the suspension, Ringbom told her to meet<br />with him and Mankowski immediately, and bring a union representative.  The union representative told Ringbom she was<br />unavailable, but could meet the following day. <br />Ringbom said he would get back to her and Parks, but never did.<br /><br/>f. <i<br />>June 2007 warning letter</i>: In June 2007,<br />Cuthbertson issued a warning letter to Parks stating that she had been<br />â€œharassingâ€ Port contractors and other Port employees.  Parks filed a grievance regarding this<br />letter.  The primary concern expressed in<br />the letter was Parksâ€™s actions in taking a photograph of a Port landscaping contractor,<br />Curtis Johnson, and his employee while they were working on the Port<br />property.  Parks took the photograph, on<br />behalf of her union, in an effort to document the Portâ€™s need to hire a<br />fulltime landscaper rather than contracting out the work.  Johnson did not complain to anyone about<br />Parksâ€™s conduct, but Mankowski approached him and asked about it.  Port worker Lawrence Dirksen investigated the<br />incident at Mankowskiâ€™s request, and ascertained from Johnson that while he<br />felt uncomfortable having his picture taken, he did not feel harassed by<br />Parksâ€™s actions.  Cuthbertsonâ€™s warning<br />letter acknowledged that Parks had apologized to Johnson after learning that he<br />had complained, but nonetheless asserted that Parks had taken actions<br />â€œbordering on harassment.â€  The letter<br />also referred to incidents in which Parks questioned a temporary Port employee,<br />Richard Billups, and another Port employee who was serving as acting foreman,<br />Kenneth Taylor.  In January 2007,<br />Parks asked Billups what he was doing for the Port, in a manner he considered<br />â€œabusive,â€ by which he meant she was â€œnot being polite.â€  Other than that, Billups considered his<br />relationship with Parks to be functional and workable, and he had no problems<br />with her.  As to Taylor, Parks had asked<br />him why he had served for so long in the acting foreman position.  At the time, Parks was a union steward, and<br />she was investigating complaints about whether the position was being rotated<br />fairly.  Taylor did not think he was the<br />appropriate person to ask, as it was not his decision, and he characterized<br />Parksâ€™s manner in asking the question as â€œaggressive.â€  He did not think, however, that it was<br />inappropriate for Parks to be looking into the issue.<br /><br/>g. <i<br />>Suspension for being in Port offices after<br />hours</i>:  In November 2008, as a result<br />of an incident that occurred in August 2008, Parks was suspended for three days<br />for entering a Port office after hours to check on the status of a leave<br />request she had submitted, and going into Ringbomâ€™s office to check her<br />mailbox, which was inside it.  According<br />to Parks, other employees sometimes entered the office after hours and were not<br />disciplined for it.  Park entered the<br />office in order to ascertain whether a leave request she had submitted several<br />weeks earlier, asking for time off on the day following her entry into the<br />office, had been approved.  The discipline<br />letter stated that while in the office, Parks made a threatening remark to<br />Gerard Higareda, who happened to be working on a binder relating to Parksâ€™s<br />legal action at the time.  Higareda said<br />that Parks told him his deposition might have to be taken, but Parks did not<br />recall making that statement, and in any event, Higareda denied that Parks was<br />hostile or threatening to him during this conversation.<br /><br/>7. <b ><u>Differential treatment</u></b>: <br />Parks complained of a number of ways in which she believed the Port or<br />her supervisors had treated her differently from her male colleagues with<br />respect to the terms or conditions of her employment.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Note in file regarding union protest</i>: In<br />October 2001, while Parks was still in her initial period of probation after<br />being hired, Cuthbertson placed a note in Parksâ€™s file regarding her<br />participation in a union protest at the Port involving 20 or 30 employees.  Cuthbertson did not place notes in the files<br />of any of the other workers involved in the protest.  Cuthbertson told Parks it was not a good idea<br />for her to participate in the protest when she had only worked at the Port for<br />a few months.  He characterized Parksâ€™s<br />participation in the protest, and her response to his questions about it, as â€œmilitan[t],â€<br />â€œbelligerent,â€ and â€œforward.â€<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>Denial of overtime</i>: In March 2003 and<br />September 2006, Parks filed grievances alleging that she should have been given<br />additional overtime work.  Parks does not<br />dispute, however, that the Port allocates overtime based on an electronic list<br />generated by a formula that reflects overtime worked, and overtime offered but<br />refused.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Large diameter pipe: </i>In December 2003,<br />Parks told Cuthbertson that she believed her male colleague, Taylor, had been<br />assigned more of the jobs involving large diameter pipe.  Parks acknowledged at her deposition that her<br />basis for this belief was her own personal observations, coupled with Taylorâ€™s<br />own complaint that â€œhe was getting assigned jobs unfairly,â€ specifically with<br />respect to jobs involving large diameter pipe, and that â€œthe workload was<br />unfairly distributed.â€  Parks believed<br />Cuthbertson was homophobic, but at her deposition, she could not articulate any<br />reason why she believed he discriminated against her on the basis of sexual<br />orientation in making work assignments. <br />In support of the Portâ€™s motion, the Port submitted a statistical<br />analysis, based on the Portâ€™s work records, regarding the assignment of work<br />involving large diameter pipe.  Parks<br />disputed this analysis, in that the Portâ€™s figures were based on the<br />proposition that Taylor and Parks both worked at the Port from the time Parks<br />was hired until August 31, 2006, whereas Parks contended that Taylor, though<br />technically still employed, was actually absent on medical leave starting<br />sometime in 2004.  However, Parks did not<br />produce any evidence supporting her contention that the work with large<br />diameter pipe was in fact unfairly distributed. <br />She does not contend, and has not produced any evidence, that work with<br />large diameter pipe is more desirable than the other types of work performed by<br />Port plumbers.<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>Acting foreman position</i>: In late 2004,<br />after Fill retired as utilities foreman, the Port held his position open to<br />permit certain employees to rotate through the position of acting utilities<br />foreman, and thereby gain supervisory experience.  The first two rotations were assigned to male<br />workers, one of whom was Ringbom.  On<br />April 18, 2005, Parks began serving a rotation in the position.  Parksâ€™s tenure was interrupted by two<br />vacations totaling 30 calendar days.  On<br />July 21, 2005, after Parks had been in the position for over three months,<br />Cuthbertson and Mankowski told Parks her rotation was over, but she refused to<br />vacate the position.  Cuthbertson<br />reiterated that Parks needed to step down, because Joan Webster, the Portâ€™s<br />human resources director, had determined that for safety reasons, the<br />electricians had to be supervised by a licensed electrician, which Parks was<br />not.  Shortly after Parks was told she<br />had to vacate the position, Webster reconsidered her view and decided that<br />Parks could safely supervise electricians and therefore could be reinstated as<br />acting utilities foreman.  However, Parks<br />took a dayâ€™s leave before this decision was communicated to her, and when she<br />returned to work, she resigned from the position and complained that she was<br />being discriminated against and forced to work in a â€œhostile environment.â€  Parks demanded to see the time records of the<br />two previous occupants of the position so she could verify how long each of<br />them had served.  Parksâ€™s complaint was<br />forwarded to the Portâ€™s Office of Equal Opportunity, which determined that<br />Parks had served at least the same number of calendar days in the position as<br />each of the prior acting utilities foremen, and that Parksâ€™s complaint did not<br />have merit.<br /><br/>e. <i<br />>Lack of equal access to training</i>:  In 2005, while Parks was serving as acting<br />foreman, Cuthbertson did not treat her in the same way that he had treated<br />Ringbom, her predecessor in the position, with regard to training in electrical<br />work.  In 2009, after Parks failed to<br />pass a backflow certification examination, Parks asked Ringbom if she could<br />take a one-day training seminar before retaking the examination.  Ringbom told her the Port did not have money<br />for the training, but Parks found out three days later that Ringbom himself had<br />been authorized to take a five-day course on the same subject.<br /><br/>f. <i >Communication<br />restrictions</i>: In May 2006, Ringbom directed Parks to copy him on emails<br />relating to Port business, and to advise him if she needed to meet with someone<br />other than himself or Cuthbertson.  The<br />genesis of Ringbomâ€™s directive appears to have been an incident in which<br />Ringbom told Parks to remove a specific backflow device; Ringbom and Parks had<br />a confrontational conversation about the implications of removing the device<br />for water safety; and Parks then communicated about her concerns directly with<br />Port environmental scientist Jeff Rubin, without informing Ringbom she was<br />doing so.  Ringbom later explained to<br />Parks that he was responsible for coordinating the work assignments of the<br />employees he supervised, and needed to know if Port tenants asked Parks<br />directly to perform a task for them. <br />Ringbom did not issue such a directive to other employees, but Parks did<br />not produce any evidence that any other employees had failed to inform Ringbom<br />regarding work assignments they had accepted directly from Port tenants.  Parks reacted to Ringbomâ€™s directive by<br />sending him daily emails listing everyone with whom she might discuss Port business<br />that day.  In September 2006, Parks filed<br />a grievance regarding this directive, indicating she believed she was being<br />harassed for calling attention to a possible unsafe water condition at the<br />Port.<br /><br/>g. <i<br />>Assignment of plumbing work to others</i>:<br />On September 1, 2006, Parks filed two grievances regarding the conduct of Bill<br />Edwards, a maintenance foreman at the Port, in assigning overtime work that was<br />supposed to be performed by a plumber to a semi-skilled laborer, without first<br />offering it to a plumber, and in doing pipeline repair work himself, when such<br />work should have been carried out by a plumber.<br /><br/>h. <i<br />>Human Resources appointment</i>: In January<br />2007, Parks made an appointment with a representative of the Portâ€™s human<br />resources (HR) department to discuss her family medical leave rights.  She scheduled the appointment for 11:15 a.m.<br />without first consulting Ringbom.  When<br />she asked Ringbom if she could attend the appointment as scheduled, he told her<br />to go at noon on her lunch hour instead. <br />Parks went to the HR department at noon, as instructed, but could not<br />meet with the representative, because the latter was at lunch.  Parks was able to meet with the<br />representative a week or two later. <br />Parks believed Ringbomâ€™s request that she use her lunch hour for the<br />meeting might have been <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">discriminatory or<br />retaliatory</a>.  Other Port workers were<br />permitted to meet with HR representatives during work hours.  However, Parks was unable to identify<br />anything Ringbom said that caused her to believe his request was based on her gender<br />or sexual orientation.  Ringbom explained<br />that under Port policy, employees were supposed to request release time in<br />advance when they wished to meet with someone in Port administration, and Parks<br />had not done so on this occasion. Parks was not aware of this policy at the<br />time.<br /><br/>i. <i<br />>Safety boot policy</i>: The Port has a<br />policy requiring employees to wear protective footwear, or â€œsafety boots,â€<br />while on the job.  In July 2007,<br />Cuthbertson â€œadmonishedâ€ Parks for wearing shoes other than her safety boots in<br />a Port office.  Parks was given a copy of<br />the Portâ€™s policy regarding foot protection, with the provision regarding<br />discipline for noncompliance highlighted. <br />The following day, Parksâ€™s male coworker, Andy Duncan, wore the same<br />type of non-safety boots in the same office, in Cuthbertsonâ€™s presence, and<br />Cuthbertson did not take any action of the sort he had taken with Parks.  Cuthbertson himself did not consistently wear<br />safety shoes in the office or shop, and â€œmocked [Parks] regarding his scrutiny<br />of her and the differential treatment.â€ <br />Cuthbertson acknowledged that he had told Parks to put on her safety<br />boots, but stated that he had issued such instructions to other employees also,<br />regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.  Other than the one incident with Duncan and<br />Cuthbertsonâ€™s own behavior, Parks did not produce any evidence that Cuthbertson<br />enforced the safety boot policy differently as to Parks than he did with<br />respect to male and/or heterosexual workers.<br /><br/>j. <i<br />>Time off request</i>: In December 2007,<br />Parks requested 27 nonconsecutive days off as leave without pay.  Parks believed that under the union contract,<br />she was not required to give any reason for this request beyond saying it was<br />for â€œpersonal reasons.â€  Mankowski,<br />however, interpreted the contract to require that such a request satisfy<br />certain requirements, and that â€œpersonal reasonsâ€ was not a sufficient<br />explanation for this purpose.  Mankowski<br />requested that Parks give him additional information about the reason for the<br />request, and Joan Webster asked Parksâ€™s union representative why Parks needed<br />the time.  Mankowski denied that his<br />request for additional information had anything to do with Parksâ€™s gender or<br />sexual orientation.<br /><br/>k. <i<br />>Presence on Port property after work hours</i>:<br />The Port requires employees to obtain permission if they remain on the worksite<br />after their normal work hours.  On two<br />occasions, in March and April 2008, Parks was confronted by supervisors about<br />her being on Port property after working hours. <br />In the March 2008 incident, management investigated Parks, and<br />threatened to discipline her, even though other workers were not similarly<br />treated.  In April 2008, Cuthbertson<br />demanded to know why Parks was on the property two minutes after her shift ended.  At the time, Parks was filling out her time<br />card in the company of other workers whom Cuthbertson did not treat<br />similarly.  Also, as noted <i<br />>ante</i>, Parks was disciplined in November<br />2008 for being in the office after hours during August 2008.<br /><br/>l. <i<br />>Backflow certification pay</i>: Parks took<br />and passed a test to qualify for a backflow tester certificate.  Parks believed this entitled her to a six<br />percent pay increase.  Neither the Port<br />nor its agreement with Parksâ€™s union provided for such an increase, and the<br />Harbor facilities department at the Port considers backflow testing and repair<br />to be â€œa normal part of a plumberâ€™s work.â€ <br />Parks does not dispute this.<br /><br/>8. <b<br />><u>Treatment by supervisors</u></b>:  Parks identified other incidents, not<br />involving specific terms or conditions of employment, in which supervisory<br />personnel at the Port treated her in ways she characterizes as discriminatory<br />and/or retaliatory.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>Backflow device testing versus repair</i>:<br />In March 2007, Ringbom directed Parks to repair some backflow devices, but<br />Parks, consistent with her longstanding practice and the instructions of her<br />former supervisor, gave priority to testing new backflow devices over repairing<br />the existing ones.  Ringbom sent Parks a<br />memo about the issue, emphasizing that Parks should have consulted him before<br />changing her work assignment, and stating that â€œ[t]his is the same standardâ€ to<br />which he held â€œall employees who report to me.â€ <br />Parks was not disciplined for this incident, but Mankowskiâ€™s notes of a<br />meeting with Ringbom about the incident reflect the use of the term<br />â€œinsubordinationâ€ to describe her actions.<br /><br/>b. <i<br />>Communication with other employees</i>: In<br />April 2007, Parksâ€™s former supervisor, Segal, told Parks that Cuthbertson had<br />told him not to talk to Parks.<a<br />href="#_ftn8"<br />name="_ftnref8" title="">[8]</a>   Cuthbertsonâ€™s declaration in support of the<br />Portâ€™s motion states that he only told Segal not to talk to Parks or anyone<br />else about issues related to Parksâ€™s legal claims, and did not tell Segal not<br />to talk to Parks at all.  However,<br />Mankowskiâ€™s notes of a meeting with Cuthbertson on April 12, 2007, reflect that<br />Cuthbertsonâ€™s concern was the amount of time Parks and Segal were spending in<br />conversation with one another, and the impact on productivity.<br /><br/>c. <i<br />>Meeting with Facilitator</i>: In June 2007,<br />Mankowski notified Parks that the Port wanted her to attend a series of<br />meetings with an outside facilitator in order to â€œenhance interpersonal<br />coordinationâ€ and improve the communications between Parks and Ringbom.  Mankowski declined to give Parks the<br />assurance she requested that her statements during the facilitation would not<br />be used against her for disciplinary or evaluation purposes, so Parks refused<br />to participate without a union representative present, which the Port would not<br />allow.  As a result, Mankowski threatened<br />to discipline Parks for insubordination, though he did not in fact do so.<br /><br/>d. <i<br />>Workplace Violence Incident Report</i>: On<br />December 17, 2007, Cuthbertson and Ringbom filled out and filed a Port of<br />Oakland form called a â€œWorkplace Violence Incident Reportâ€ regarding<br />Parks.  According to Ringbom, he did not<br />believe Parks actually posed a physical threat to herself or others, but<br />nonetheless filed the report because he learned from a training session that he<br />was required by Port policy to do so when an employee â€œexhibited certain signs<br />which [Port supervisors] were taught might lead to workplace violence.â€  Ringbom denied that the report had anything<br />to do with Parksâ€™s gender or sexual orientation.  The Port retained an outside consultant to<br />interview Cuthbertson and Ringbom regarding the report.  The consultant concluded that Parks did not<br />pose a threat of workplace violence, but that â€œmanaging [her] was very<br />difficult,â€ and that Cuthbertson and Ringbom filed the report because they<br />â€œwanted their frustration reported and acknowledged.â€ The consultant â€œdid not<br />perceive that [Cuthbertson and Ringbomâ€™s] frustrations masked an impermissible<br />motive.â€  Other than hiring the<br />consultant, the Port did not take any action due to the filing of the report.<br /><br/>e. <i<br />>Ringbomâ€™s reaction to question about his<br />whereabouts</i>: In August 2009, Ringbom informed Parksâ€™s crew that he would<br />not be at work on the following day.  On<br />the day Ringbom was expected to be out, he called Parks on the radio to<br />instruct her to shut off a valve due to a water leak.  When Parks asked Ringbom whether he was at<br />work, he â€œreplied in a manner that was irritated and hostile,â€ and asked Parks<br />whether she understood that Ringbom was her foreman and when he told her to do<br />a job, she needed to go do it.<br /><br/>f. â€œ<i<br />>Shadowing</i>â€: Cuthbertson appeared to<br />Parks on various occasions to be â€œshadowing her at workâ€; similarly, Mankowski<br />appeared to Parks to be watching her and taking notes.<br /><br/>9. <b<br />><u>Union issues</u></b>:  Parks identified a number of incidents in<br />which she believed she was unfairly treated by Port managers in connection with<br />her involvement in her union.<br /><br/>a. <i<br />>August 2007</i>: In August 2007, Mankowski<br />observed Parks, who was a union steward, speaking with the chapter president of<br />the union about a grievance.  According<br />to Parks, Mankowski falsely told maintenance supervisor Bill Morrison that<br />Parks had been involved in this conversation for half an hour.  Mankowski did not recall the exact<br />conversation, but denied that it had anything to do with Parksâ€™s gender or<br />sexual orientation, as opposed to her union activity. <br /><br/>b. <i<br />>June 2009</i>: In June 2009, Parks was seen<br />talking to Cecilia Meza, a Port carpenter. <br />Mezaâ€™s foreman, Bill Edwards, later admonished Meza that Parks should<br />not be talking about union business on Port time.  As far as Parks knew, Edwards did not know<br />what the subject of Parksâ€™s and Mezaâ€™s conversation was.  Edwards denied that his comment to Meza was<br />based on Parksâ€™s gender or sexual orientation; rather, it was based on her<br />union activities.<br /><br/>discussion<br /><br/>A. <br />Evidentiary Issue<br /><br/>            The Port<br />filed formal objections to the evidence submitted by Parks in connection with<br />the Portâ€™s motion.  The trial court ruled<br />on all of the objections in its order granting summary adjudication.  On appeal, Parks contends that one of these<br />rulings was in error.<br /><br/>            Specifically,<br />in her declaration opposing the motion, Parks testified that her coworker and<br />former supervisor, Segal, told her that Cuthbertson had told him not to speak<br />to her.  The Port objected to this<br />portion of Parksâ€™s declaration as hearsay, and the trial court sustained the<br />objection.<br /><br/>            Parks<br />argues that the statement was offered to show its effect on her, and for that<br />purpose, it is not hearsay.  To that<br />extent, Parks is correct.  Segalâ€™s<br />statement to Parks is relevant to whether Parks experienced her work<br />environment as hostile, and it is admissible for that limited purpose, which<br />does not require that Segal have been telling the truth about what Cuthbertson<br />said.  (See <i >Rufo v. Simpson</i> (2001) 86 Cal.App.4th 573, 591-592 [murder victimâ€™s<br />statements about ex-husbandâ€™s abusive conduct, though inadmissible to show<br />ex-husband committed acts victim described, were properly admitted to show<br />victimâ€™s state of mind about ex-husband and reasons for terminating<br />relationship]; <i >Beyda v. City of Los<br />Angeles</i> (1998) 65 Cal.App.4th 511, 520-521 [state of mind of plaintiff in<br />harassment case is relevant to whether hostile work environment existed]; see<br />generally 1 Witkin, Cal. Evidence (5th ed. 2012) Hearsay, § 5, p. 788<br />[â€œout-of-court statements not offered to prove the truth of the matter stated<br />are not regarded as hearsayâ€].)<br /><br/>            On the<br />other hand, the Port is correct that Segalâ€™s statement was hearsay to the<br />extent it was introduced to prove that Cuthbertson <i >actually</i> told Segal not to speak to Parks.  (See, e.g., <i >People v. Thoma</i> (2007) 150 Cal.App.4th 1096, 1103 [police officerâ€™s<br />testimony at preliminary hearing was generally admissible under prior testimony<br />exception to hearsay rule, but officerâ€™s testimony that nurse told him crime<br />victim was in surgery could not be used to prove seriousness of victimâ€™s<br />injuries, because nurseâ€™s out-of-court statement was inadmissible to prove<br />truth of its contents].)  Using the<br />evidence for that purpose requires reliance on the truth of Segalâ€™s<br />out-of-court statement to Parks about the content of his conversation with<br />Cuthbertson, and thus violates the hearsay rule.<br /><br/>            Parks also<br />correctly points out that Cuthbertsonâ€™s own declaration said he told Segal not<br />to talk to Parks <i >about her legal dispute</i><br />with the Port.  But the implications of<br />Cuthbertsonâ€™s giving such an instruction are very different from those urged by<br />Parks.  If a supervisor tells employee<br />Smith not to speak <i >at all</i> with<br />employee Jones, this may, in context, tend to show that the supervisor<br />contributed to creating a hostile work environment for Jones.  But if Jones is contemplating legal action<br />against the employer, it is perfectly reasonable for the supervisor to instruct<br />Smith not to discuss Jonesâ€™s <i >legal claims</i><br />with Jones, in an effort to preclude Smith from saying anything that could<br />potentially affect the employerâ€™s future litigation position.  Under the latter circumstances, the issuance<br />of such an instruction does not tend to establish the existence of a hostile<br />work environment.<br /><br/>            Accordingly,<br />for the purpose of reviewing the trial courtâ€™s ruling on the merits of the<br />Portâ€™s motion, we treat this portion of Parksâ€™s testimony as admissible, but<br />solely for the purpose of showing that Segal <i >told</i> Parks Cuthbertson had instructed him not to talk with<br />her.  Segalâ€™s hearsay statement cannot be<br />relied upon for its truth, and thus does not controvert Cuthbertsonâ€™s direct<br />testimony that what he told Segal was only to refrain from speaking to Parks<br />about her <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">legal dispute</a> with the<br />Port.<br /><br/>B. <br />Summary Adjudication<br /><br/>1. <br />Standard of Review and Applicable Law<br /><br/>            Because<br />this is an appeal from an order granting summary adjudication, we review the<br />record de novo.  (<i >Birschtein</i>, <i >supra</i>, 92<br />Cal.App.4th at p. 999.)  As the<br />moving party, the Port â€œbears the burden of persuasion that there is no triable<br />issue of material fact and that [it] was entitled to judgment as a matter of<br />law.â€  (<i >Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co.</i> (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850,<br />fn. omitted.)  â€œA motion for summary<br />[adjudication] shall be granted when â€˜all the papers submitted show that there<br />is no triable issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is<br />entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.â€™ [Citation.]  A moving defendant is entitled to judgment as<br />a <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">matter of law</a> when the defendant<br />shows without rebuttal that one or more elements of the plaintiffâ€™s case cannot<br />be established or there is a complete defense to that cause of action.  [Citations.] <br />[¶] On appeal after a summary [adjudication] has been granted, we<br />review de novo the trial courtâ€™s decision to grant summary [adjudication] and<br />are not bound by the trial courtâ€™s stated reasons.<b ><sup>[<a<br />href="#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9"<br />title="">[9]</a>]</sup></b>  [Citations.] <br />In reviewing the summary [adjudication], we apply the same three-step<br />analysis used by the trial court: we (1) identify the issues framed by the<br />pleadings; (2) determine whether the moving party has negated the<br />opponentâ€™s claims; and (3) determine whether the opposition has<br />demonstrated the existence of a triable, material factual issue.  [Citation.] <br />Like the trial court, we view the evidence in the light most favorable<br />to the opposing party and accept all inferences reasonably drawn<br />therefrom.  [Citation.]â€  (<i>Hinesley</i>, <i>supra</i>, 135<br />Cal.App.4th at p. 294.)<br /><br/>            The<br />elements of a cause of action for gender or sexual orientation harassment<br />against an employer under FEHA are: (1) plaintiff belongs to a protected<br />group; (2) plaintiff was subject to unwelcome harassment; (3) the<br />harassment complained of was based on the plaintiffâ€™s gender or sexual<br />orientation; (4) the harassment complained of was sufficiently pervasive<br />so as to alter the conditions of employment and create an abusive working<br />environment; and (5) agents of the employer, such as the plaintiffâ€™s<br />supervisors or managers, either personally engaged in the harassment, or knew<br />or should have known of the harassment and failed to take prompt corrective<br />action.  (<i >Jones v. Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation</i> (2007) 152<br />Cal.App.4th 1367, 1377; <i >Fisher v. San<br />Pedro Peninsula Hospital</i> (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 590, 615 (<i<br />>Jones</i>) [â€œwhen an employee seeks to hold<br />an employer responsible for a hostile environment, the employee must show that<br />the employer knew or should have known of the harassment in question; an<br />employerâ€™s knowledge can be demonstrated by showing the pervasiveness of the<br />harassment, which gives rise to an inference of knowledge or constructive<br />knowledgeâ€]; see also <i >id.</i> at<br />pp. 608-609 & fn. 6 [employer is strictly liable for actions of<br />its agents or supervisors, and is liable for actions of plaintiffâ€™s coworkers<br />if agents or supervisors knew or should have known of harassing conduct and<br />failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action].)<br /><br/>            FEHAâ€™s<br />prohibition against harassment on the basis of gender or sexual orientation<br />includes protection from a broad range of conduct, including, as Parks alleges<br />here, the creation of a work environment that is hostile or abusive.  (See <i >Kelley<br />v. The Conco Companies</i> (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 191, 202-203.)  Claims of a hostile or abusive working<br />environment due to harassment arise when a workplace is â€œpermeated with<br />â€˜discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult[]â€™ [citation] that is<br />â€˜sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victimâ€™s<br />employment and create an abusive working environment[]â€™<br />[citation] . . . .â€ <br />(<i >Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc.</i><br />(1993) 510 U.S. 17, 21.)  â€œ â€˜For<br />. . . harassment to be actionable, it must be sufficiently severe or<br />pervasive â€œto alter the conditions of [the victimâ€™s] employment and create an<br />abusive working environment.â€ <br />[Citation.]â€™  [Citation.]â€  (<i>Aguilar v. Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. </i>(1999)<br />21 Cal.4th 121, 130 (<i >Aguilar v. Avis</i>).)<br /><br/>            In other<br />words, harassment â€œ â€˜cannot be occasional, isolated, sporadic, or<br />trivialâ€™ â€; instead, â€œ â€˜the plaintiff must show a concerted pattern<br />of harassment of a repeated, routine, or a generalized nature.  [Citation.]â€™ <br />[Citation.]â€  (<i>Aguilar v. Avis</i>, <i>supra</i>, 21 Cal.4th at<br />p. 131.)  Thus, in order to<br />establish a claim for workplace harassment, â€œ â€˜[t]he plaintiff must prove<br />that the defendantâ€™s conduct would have interfered with a reasonable employeeâ€™s<br />work performance and would have seriously affected the psychological well-being<br />of a reasonable employee and that [the plaintiff] was actually offended.â€™  [Citation.]â€ <br />(<i>Id. </i>at pp. 130-131.)<br /><br/>            An employer<br />seeking summary adjudication of a harassment cause of action based on the<br />absence of a causal connection between the alleged harassing acts and the<br />plaintiffâ€™s membership in a protected class bears the burden of proving that no<br />reasonable jury could infer such a connection from the evidentiary record as a<br />whole.  (See <i>Begnal v. Canfield &<br />Associates, Inc. </i>(2000) 78 Cal.App.4th 66, 77<br />[â€œ â€˜ â€œ[D]eterminations regarding motivation and intent depend on<br />complicated inferences from the evidence and are therefore peculiarly within<br />the province of the factfinderâ€ â€™ â€].)  Moreover, as our Supreme Court made clear in <i<br />>Yanowitz v. Lâ€™Oreal USA, Inc.</i> (2005) 36<br />Cal.4th 1028, we must consider the employerâ€™s overall course of conduct as a<br />whole, because an adverse employment action may consist not of â€œone swift<br />blow,â€ but rather of â€œa series of subtle, yet damaging, injuries.  [Citations.]â€ <br />(<i>Id. </i>at p. 1055.) <br />Indeed, â€œ[a]s a general matter, the plaintiff in an employment<br />discrimination action need produce very little evidence in order to overcome an<br />employerâ€™s motion for summary judgment.  This is because â€˜the ultimate question is one<br />that can only be resolved through a searching inquiryâ€”one that is most<br />appropriately conducted by a factfinder, upon a full record.â€™  [Citation.]â€ <br />(<i>Chuang v. University of California Davis </i>(9th Cir. 2000) 225<br />F.3d 1115, 1124.)<br /><br/>            In<br />assessing whether a reasonable jury could infer discriminatory motive or<br />intent, we must accept Parksâ€™s version of the relevant historical facts, even<br />if supported only by her own declaration. <br />(<i>Estate of Housley </i>(1997) 56 Cal.App.4th 342, 359 [â€œthe sole<br />declaration of a party opposing a summary judgment motion which raises a<br />triable issue of fact is sufficient to deny that motionâ€]; see also <i>Dart<br />Industries, Inc. v. Commercial Union Ins. Co. </i>(2002) 28 Cal.4th 1059, 1075<br />[testimony of even one witness, if believed by jury, is sufficient to support<br />verdict, even if witness is a party]; <i>In re Marriage of Mix </i>(1975) 14<br />Cal.3d 604, 614; see also Evid. Code, § 411.)  We are not, however, bound to accept Parksâ€™s<br />conclusions or speculations as to the motive or intent behind those historical<br />facts.  (See <i >Tuchscher Development Enterprises, Inc. v. San Diego Unified Port Dist.</i><br />(2003) 106 Cal.App.4th 1219, 1240; <i >Hayman<br />v. Block</i> (1986) 176 Cal.App.3d 629, 638-639.)<br /><br/>            On a<br />defense summary judgment motion in a FEHA case, â€œ[i]f the employer has met its<br />burden [to rebut a prima facie showing of discrimination] by showing a<br />legitimate reason for its conduct, the employee must demonstrate a triable<br />issue by producing substantial evidence that the employerâ€™s stated reasons were<br />untrue or pretextual, or that the employer acted with a discriminatory animus,<br />such that a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that the employer engaged<br />in intentional discrimination or other unlawful action.  [Citations.] <br />â€˜[S]peculation cannot be regarded as substantial responsive<br />evidence.â€™  [Citation.]  In order to raise an issue as to the<br />employerâ€™s credibility, the employee must set forth specific facts<br />demonstrating â€˜ â€œsuch weaknesses, implausibilities, inconsistencies, incoherences,<br />or contradictions in the employerâ€™s proffered legitimate reasons for its action<br />that a reasonable factfinder could rationally find them â€˜unworthy of<br />credence.â€™ â€ â€™  [Citation.]  [¶] . . . [E]ven though we may<br />expect a plaintiff to rely on inferences rather than direct evidence to create<br />a factual dispute on the question of motive, <i >a material triable controversy is not established unless the inference<br />is reasonable</i>.  And an inference is<br />reasonable if, and only if, it implies the unlawful motive is <i<br />>more likely</i> than defendantâ€™s proffered<br />explanation.  [Citation.]â€  (<i >Cucuzza<br />v. City of Santa Clara</i> (2002) 104 Cal.App.4th 1031, 1038 (<i<br />>Cucuzza</i>), italics omitted &<br />added.)  Thus, our task is to determine<br />whether the record presented on the summary judgment motion could have<br />persuaded a reasonable jury to infer, despite the Portâ€™s explanations regarding<br />the actions about which Parks complains, that these actions were in fact<br />motivated by her gender and/or sexual orientation.<br /><br/>2. <br />Analysis<br /><br/>            Much of the<br />evidence Parks relies on to support her harassment claims consists of personnel<br />actions taken by Ringbom and/or Cuthbertson in their capacity as Parksâ€™s<br />supervisorsâ€”that is, the items summarized <i >ante</i><br />under the headings of unfair performance evaluations, unfair discipline, and<br />differential treatment.  Under <i<br />>Roby</i>, <i >supra</i>, 47 Cal.4th 686, personnel decisions by a supervisor are<br />properly considered as evidence of harassment, but only if â€œthe supervisor used<br />those official actions as his means of conveying his offensive message.â€  (<i >Id.</i><br />at p. 708.)<br /><br/>            In the<br />present case, however, Ringbom and Cuthbertson deny any discriminatory or<br />harassing intent with regard to these actions, and with a few minor exceptions,<br />the Port has proffered plausible justifications for them that do not reflect<br />any discriminatory animus.<a<br />href="#_ftn10"<br />name="_ftnref10" title="">[10]</a>  Thus, as indicated by the authorities cited <i<br />>ante</i>, in order to rely on these actions<br />to defeat the Portâ€™s motion, Parks had the burden to show that a reasonable<br />jury could find, based on the evidence as a whole, that the Portâ€™s<br />justifications for its actions were only pretexts, and that their real purpose<br />was to harass Parks on the basis of her gender and/or sexual orientation.  (See, e.g., <i >Cucuzza</i>, <i >supra</i>, 104<br />Cal.App.4th at p. 1038.)<br /><br/>            Aside from<br />Cuthbertson and Ringbomâ€™s personnel actions themselves, however, the evidence<br />on which Parks relies consists of: (1) the issues regarding the restroom<br />and locker room facilities; (2) the evidence regarding the reaction of<br />Port personnel to Parksâ€™s union activity; and (3) the presence in the Port<br />workplace of jokes, derogatory remarks, and other offensive material relating<br />to women and/or homosexuals.  In<br />assessing whether a reasonable jury could discredit the Portâ€™s justifications<br />for its personnel actions, we must take into account the weight that a<br />reasonable jury could assign to this independent evidence.<br /><br/>            As to the<br />restroom and locker room facilities, Parks did raise a triable issue of fact<br />regarding whether the facilities were equally clean and accessible compared<br />with those furnished to male employees. <br />On the other hand, Parks does not dispute that the inequalities of<br />cleanliness and accessâ€”that is, the offensive odors, and the interference with<br />access caused by the storage of suppliesâ€”were temporary.  It is also undisputed that they did not<br />prevent her from using the facilities altogether.<br /><br/>            Parks also<br />raised triable issues of fact regarding whether the womenâ€™s facilities were<br />subject to intrusion by male Port workers (particularly Ringbom) and<br />janitors.  However, Parks did not provide<br />evidence that any male ever actually entered the womenâ€™s facilities while she<br />was using them.  More importantly, Parks<br />did not provide any evidence that the Port created these conditions<br />intentionally in order to mistreat Parks in particular, or women in general, or<br />that she complained about these issues to the Port, and it refused to address<br />them.  In short, the evidence as to the<br />restroom and locker room facilities does not provide sufficient support for Parksâ€™s<br />overall picture of the Port as a hostile working environment for women and<br />lesbians.<br /><br/>            As for the<br />remarks, gestures, and bulletin board postings on which Parks relies, the case<br />law makes clear that a claim of harassment or a hostile work environment cannot<br />rest on a handful of off-color jokes and derogatory remarks, over a period of<br />several years, which were made primarily by the plaintiffâ€™s coworkers rather<br />than supervisors.  (See, e.g., <i<br />>Lyle v. Warner Brothers Television<br />Productions</i> (2006) 38 Cal.4th 264, 282-284, 295; <i >Jones</i>, <i >supra</i>, 152 Cal.App.4th<br />at p. 1377.)  Parks does not allege<br />that any of her supervisors or coworkers at the Port propositioned her sexually<br />or addressed her personally using derogatory terms.  While some of the conduct displayed by Port<br />workers can certainly be seen as reflecting generalized sexism or homophobia,<br />it was not severe or pervasive enough to constitute actionable harassment.  (See <i >Manatt<br />v. Bank of America</i> (9th Cir. 2003) 339 F.3d 792, 798-799.)  Moreover, it does not contribute<br />significantly to a showing that the personnel actions taken by Ringbom,<br />Cuthbertson, and Mankowski were motivated by gender or sexual orientation bias,<br />rather than by the legitimate reasons proffered by the Port in support of its<br />motion.<a<br />href="#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title="">[11]</a><br /><br/>            Parks<br />argues that an inference of sexism and homophobia on the part of Ringbom,<br />Cuthbertson, and Mankowski can be drawn from their use of terms such as<br />â€œstrident,â€ â€œemotional,â€ â€œaggressive,â€ â€œbelligerent,â€ and â€œdisrespectfulâ€ in<br />describing Parks and her behavior on the job. <br />Parks did not introduce any evidence, however, that there were male<br />and/or heterosexual Port employees who behaved as she did, but were not<br />described in similar terms.  Indeed, it<br />is undisputed that Mankowski used the term â€œemotionalâ€ to describe Cuthbertson<br />as well as Parks.  Moreover, Parks<br />herself acknowledges that she â€œfrequently challenge[d] her managers and<br />supervisors.â€  For example, Parks called<br />Ringbom a liar; refused to participate in a facilitation process without a<br />guarantee that nothing she said would be used against her; refused to step down<br />from the acting foreman position when asked to do so; and reacted to Ringbomâ€™s<br />directive that she keep him informed about her interactions with Port employees<br />and tenants by sending him daily emails listing everyone with whom she might<br />discuss Port business that day, even after he explained to her that he just<br />wanted her to coordinate with him regarding her work assignments.  In light of these facts, we are not convinced<br />that a reasonable jury could conclude that these terms were veiled<br />discriminatory references to Parksâ€™s gender or sexual orientation, as opposed<br />to legitimate descriptions of her behavior.<br /><br/>            The cases<br />on which Parks relies are distinguishable. <br />The first such case, <i >Stegall v.<br />Citadel Broadcasting Co.</i> (9th Cir. 2003) 350 F.3d 1061, was a retaliation<br />case in which the plaintiff and another female employee were fired nine days<br />after the plaintiff complained to her employer about a pay disparity between<br />herself and male coworkers.  The Ninth<br />Circuit reversed a summary judgment in favor of the employer, finding that t]]></content:encoded>
<comments>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/thread/50023/</comments>   
</item>

<item>
<title>C.A. v. Super. Ct.   </title>
<description>C.A. was three years old when he was removed from the custody of petitioner, C.A. (mother).  He was declared a dependent child of the court due to motherâEur™s incarceration and concerns about motherâEur™s mental health and substance abuse.  At the contested 12-month review hearing, the juvenile court accepted the recommendation of the Santa Clara County Department of Family and ChildrenâEur™s Services (Department) to terminate reunification services (Welf. &amp; Inst. Code, Â§ 366.22, subd. (a))[1] and set a selection and implementation hearing pursuant to section 366.26.  Mother petitions for a writ of mandate directing the juvenile court to vacate that order.  Mother argues that Department did not offer reasonable reunification services.  Mother also faults Department for failing to provide an opportunity for C.A. to visit with his half sibling, I.R.  We reject the arguments and deny the petition. </description>
<link>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/ca-v-super-ct-49883.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:27:01 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/ca-v-super-ct-49883.html</guid>
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</head><br /><body><br /><div><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><b<br />>C.A.</b><b<br />> v. Super. </b><b<br />>Ct.</b><b<br />></b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/><b > </b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>Filed 9/18/12  C.A. v. Super. Ct. CA6<br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/><b<br />>NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS</b><br /><br/><b<br />> </b><br /><br/>California<br />Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or<br />relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except<br />as specified by rule 8.1115(b).  This<br />opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for<br />purposes of rule 8.1115<b >.</b><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>IN<br />THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA<br /><br/> <br /><br/>SIXTH<br />APPELLATE DISTRICT<br /><br/> <br /><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0<br />><br /><tr ><br /><td width=361 valign=top ><br /><br/>C.A.,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            Petitioner,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>v.<br /><br/> <br /><br/>THE SUPERIOR<br />COURT OF SANTA<br />CLARA COUNTY,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>            Respondent;<br /><br/> <br /><br/>SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEPARTMENT<br />OF FAMILY AND CHILDRENâ€™S SERVICES,<br /><br/> <br /><br/>Real Party in Interest.<br /></td><br /><td width=277 valign=top ><br /><br/>      H038463<br /><br/>     (Santa Clara<br />County<br /><br/>      Super. Ct.<br />No. JD20519)<br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table><br /><br/>C.A. was three years old when he was removed from<br />the custody of petitioner, C.A. (mother). <br />He was declared a dependent child of the court due to motherâ€™s<br />incarceration and concerns about motherâ€™s mental health and substance<br />abuse.  At the contested 12-month review<br />hearing, the juvenile court accepted the recommendation of the <a<br />href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">Santa Clara County Department of Family and<br />Childrenâ€™s Services</a> (Department) to terminate reunification services (Welf.<br />& Inst. Code, § 366.22, subd. (a))<a<br />href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a><br />and set a selection and implementation hearing pursuant to section 366.26.  Mother petitions for a writ of mandate<br />directing the <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">juvenile court</a> to<br />vacate that order.  Mother argues that<br />Department did not offer reasonable reunification services.  Mother also faults Department for failing to<br />provide an opportunity for C.A. to visit with his half sibling, I.R.  We reject the arguments and deny the<br />petition.<br /><br/>I.                  <br />Background<br /><br/>Mother was arrested on<br />February 28, 2011, after a<br />probation search and burglary investigation at her home revealed stolen<br />property, methamphetamine, and an unsecured vintage handgun.  C.A. was taken into protective custody and<br />Department filed a petition alleging that he came within the jurisdiction of<br />the juvenile court pursuant to section 300, subdivisions (b) and (j).  C.A.â€™s<br />half brother, 14-year-old I.R., was also placed in protective custody but he<br />fled the placement the following day. <br />The juvenile probation department notified Department that I.R. had open<br />citations for grand theft and vandalism. <br />I.R. continued in the juvenile justice system throughout the course of<br />this case.  <br /><br/>            Mother<br />had over 20 previous referrals to Department related to <a<br />href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">domestic violence</a>, substance abuse, or<br />physical abuse and neglect of her children. <br />I.R. had previously been the subject of a dependency petition, as had a<br />third child, A.P.  I.R. was reunited with<br />mother.  A.P. was ultimately placed with<br />his father.  <br /><br/>            Mother<br />had a history of mental health problems, substance abuse, volatility, and<br />involvement in physically violent personal relationships.  Mother had nine drug-related criminal<br />convictions between 2005 and 2010. <br />Departmentâ€™s case plan for mother related to this constellation of<br />parenting difficulties.  The plan<br />required that she participate in a parent orientation class, a substance abuse<br />parenting class, a program of counseling or psychotherapy, weekly drug testing,<br />a domestic violence victims support group, and a 12-step or other substance<br />abuse self-help program.  Mother was<br />receiving psychiatric services while in custody and reported that she intended<br />to be seen at Valley Medical<br />Center for future psychotropic<br />medication needs.  Accordingly, her case<br />plan required that she cooperate with any mental health treatment recommended,<br />take her prescribed psychotropic medication, and participate and complete a<br />substance abuse assessment.  <br /><br/>            Mother<br />told the social worker during a visit at the jail on May 18, 2011, that she<br />would do whatever she needed to do to get C.A. back but since she was in<br />maximum security most programs were not available to her.  Mother did participate in Bible study and a<br />program called Road Map to Recovery.  <br /><br/>At disposition<br />proceedings on May 23, 2011,<br />the juvenile court adjudged C.A.<br />a dependent child of the court and ordered that he be continued in foster care<br />and that mother and C.A.â€™s<br />father receive reunification services.<a<br />href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</a>  The juvenile court approved the case plan and<br />ordered mother to have a minimum of two supervised visits per week â€œupon<br />release, or upon admission into the PACT programâ€ and that C.A.<br />have â€œreasonableâ€ visitation with I.R. â€œonce [I.R.] is released from Juvenile<br />Hall.â€  <br /><br/>Mother was placed on<br />probation for crimes related to the stolen property and controlled<br />substance.  Probation conditions included<br />that she abstain from drugs and alcohol and complete a substance abuse<br />program.  She was released from custody<br />on September 18, 2011.  <br /><br/>At the six-month<br />review hearing held in November 2011, Department recommended continuing<br />reunification services.  C.A.<br />was thriving in his foster home.  He had<br />no physical or developmental problems. <br />Mother had twice weekly supervised visits with minor which were going<br />well.  Mother had begun the Celebrating<br />Families program and an intensive outpatient drug treatment program at Blossoms<br />Perinatal on October 19, 2011.  She had participated in four sessions of<br />individual therapy with Richard Garcia, LMFT. <br />Mother reported that she was taking her prescribed medications.  She missed some of the required drug tests;<br />four of the five tests she did submit were normal.  She tested positive for alcohol upon entering<br />the Blossoms Perinatal program but the program director reported that she<br />usually gave her clients 30 days to stabilize. <br />Overall, the social worker was â€œpleased and encouragedâ€ with motherâ€™s<br />progress in her case plan and her motivation. <br />I.R. was by then still within the juvenile justice system and residing<br />at â€œthe Ranch.â€  C.A.â€™s<br />therapist felt that C.A.<br />should be â€œshieldedâ€ from I.R. <br />Department did not recommend visitation with I.R.<br /><br/>The juvenile court<br />found by clear and convincing evidence that Department had offered and provided<br />reasonable services designed to aid mother in overcoming the problems that led<br />to removal of C.A.  The juvenile court ordered that C.A.<br />continue in care of the foster family and that mother continue to receive<br />services according to the case plan Department had devised.  The court ordered mother to have a minimum of<br />two supervised visits per week.  No<br />sibling visitation was ordered.  <br /><br/>Mother filed a motion<br />pursuant to section 388 seeking an order for visitation between C.A.<br />and I.R. and parent-child therapy for her and C.A.  The hearing was set concurrently with the<br />12-month review hearing. <br /><br/>Departmentâ€™s April 30, 2012 report for the<br />12-month review indicated that mother had not made the hoped-for progress.  Although she had successfully completed a<br />parenting class, she had made no progress on the rest of her plan.  She had not met the requirement that she<br />participate in a 12-step program and obtain a sponsor.  She had been terminated from Blossoms<br />Perinatal after less than a month due to â€œbelligerent and enraged behavior<br />towards staff.â€  She enrolled in another<br />outpatient program on January 23, 2012, but did not engage with the other<br />clients in the group and was â€œverbally disrespectfulâ€ to the counselor.  A bed came available at a transitional<br />housing unit (THU) on March 8, 2012, but mother arrived under the influence of<br />methamphetamine so she was not admitted. <br />Mother began a residential drug treatment program at Mariposa House on<br />March 26, 2012, but was terminated on April 18, 2012, after she had become<br />abusive toward the staff.  Her therapist<br />terminated her from therapy on March 12, 2012, for constantly failing â€œto show<br />for scheduled appointments.â€  <br /><br/>It was believed that<br />mother was living with a man on parole about whom mother refused to provide any<br />information.  She had not attended her<br />domestic violence support group since March 8, 2012.  She missed two or three visits with minor<br />every month since December 2011.  As for<br />random drug testing, mother missed 10 tests and two were abnormal.  On March 9, 2012, mother reported to her<br />probation officer that she was, indeed, using drugs.  The social worker concluded that mother<br />continued to struggle with making good choices and was completely overwhelmed<br />by the demands of her case plan. <br />Accordingly, Department recommended that the juvenile court terminate<br />family reunification services and set the matter for a selection and<br />implementation hearing pursuant to section 366.26.  <br /><br/>In an addendum report<br />dated June 14, 2012, Department reported that mother had been incarcerated<br />twice since the April 30 report.  Mother<br />had been participating in outpatient drug treatment as a condition of her<br />probation but she was discharged from that program on May 7, 2012, for failing<br />to respond or engage in the treatment. <br />Mother had also been admitted to a program for mentally ill offenders.  In connection with that program mother met<br />with a psychiatrist on May 17, 2012 and admitted to him that she had not been<br />taking her medications.  The reason, she<br />said, was â€œI just do whatever the fuck I want.â€ <br />Mother became aggressive and swore at the doctor and the case<br />manager.  Accordingly, the program team<br />concluded that she should be referred back to the criminal court judge.  Mother was arrested on May 30, 2012, for<br />violating probation and held until June 6, 2012.  She was arrested again the next day and<br />charged with two counts of burglary.  <br /><br/>Meanwhile, C.A.<br />continued to thrive.  He was â€œvery<br />bondedâ€ with his foster family and he did not mention his brother I.R.  Department reiterated its recommendation that<br />services be terminated.<br /><br/>Mother contested<br />Departmentâ€™s recommendation and a trial was held beginning June 14, 2012.  The hearing on motherâ€™s section 388 petition<br />trailed the status review hearing. <br />Mother testified that she had been unable to obtain housing for about<br />four months after she was released from jail the preceding September.  She believed she had a better chance of<br />staying sober when she had her own place to live but that Department had not<br />assisted with her housing search.  Since<br />she had housing she had no domestic violence incidents.  She asked to have therapy with C.A. and asked<br />the juvenile court to set up visitation between C.A. and I.R.  She said she needed her children and wanted<br />â€œto work through my problems with my kids.â€ <br /><br/>The social worker<br />testified to the facts set forth in Departmentâ€™s two reports.  She agreed that stable housing can be helpful<br />but she believed that mother needed to address her other concerns first.  She believed that parents can reunify with<br />their children even when living in shelters or THUs.  Motherâ€™s instability was related to more than<br />just her initial lack of housing.  <br /><br/>Motherâ€™s therapist was<br />willing to continue working with mother but first they had to reestablish a<br />rapport.  Mother had withdrawn from the<br />therapeutic relationship because she believed the therapist had contributed to<br />the recommendation that services be terminated. <br /><br /><br/>I.R. was not<br />present.  His attorney represented that<br />I.R. was â€œon runaway statusâ€ and that he needed to â€œcome before the social<br />workerâ€ before the court could consider ordering visitation. <br /><br/>The juvenile court found<br />by <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.com/">clear and convincing evidence</a> that<br />Department had provided reasonable services and that the social workers and<br />others had made â€œgood faith efforts under the circumstancesâ€ to offer services<br />and to help mother comply with the case plan. <br />There was no substantial probability that C.A. would be returned to<br />motherâ€™s custody before the next review period, mother had failed to<br />participate regularly in and substantially benefit from the services that were<br />offered.  The juvenile court denied<br />motherâ€™s request for sibling visitation, finding no evidence that visitation<br />with I.R. would be in C.A.â€™s best interests. <br />The juvenile court would reassess visitation if I.R. were located.  The lack of visits between C.A. and I.R. had<br />not affected motherâ€™s reunification efforts. <br />The juvenile court terminated the reunification services to both parents<br />and set a section 366.26 hearing.  Mother<br />challenges the order by way of petition for writ of mandate.  (§ 366.26, subd. (<i >l</i>); Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.450 et seq.)<br /><br/>II.               <br />Discussion<br /><br/>A.                <br />The Reasonableness of Services While Incarcerated<br /><br/>Mother argues that<br />Department failed to provide reasonable services while she was incarcerated<br />because the social workers made no effort to identify programs in which mother<br />could enroll while she was in jail. <br />Mother has forfeited this argument. <br />â€œSection 395 provides in relevant part: <br />â€˜A judgment in a proceeding under Section 300 may be appealed from in<br />the same manner as any final judgment, and any subsequent order may be appealed<br />from as from an order after judgment . . . .â€™ <br />â€˜A consequence of section 395 is that an unappealed disposition or<br />postdisposition order is final and binding and may not be attacked on an appeal<br />from a later appealable order.â€™  (<i>In<br />re Jesse W.</i> (<a name="SDU_7"></a><a name="sp_999_7"></a><a name="SDU_3"></a><a<br />name="sp_999_3">2001) 93 Cal.App.4th 349,<br />355.)â€  (<i >Sara M. v. Superior Court</i> (2005) 36 Cal.4th 998, 1018.)  Mother was incarcerated when the juvenile<br />court entered the disposition order, which also approved the case plan as set<br />forth in Departmentâ€™s report.  If mother<br />believed the plan was inadequate she was entitled to appeal from the<br />order.  Mother had recently been released<br />from jail at the time of the six-month review hearing, when the juvenile court<br />found, again, that Department had offered reasonable services.  Mother then had a second opportunity to<br />challenge the order but she did not.  The<br />trial courtâ€™s orders entered following the disposition hearing and the<br />six-month hearing are both final. <br />Motherâ€™s failure to challenge them precludes her challenge in this<br />matter.  </a><br /><br/>B.     Services<br />to Address Mental Health Issues<br /><br/>            Mother<br />next argues that Department failed to provide reasonable services to address<br />her mental health issues.  Generally<br />speaking, reunification services should be â€œaimed at assisting the parent in<br />overcoming the problems that led to the childâ€™s removal.â€  (<i>Judith P. v. Superior Court</i> (2002)<br />102 Cal.App.4th 535, 546; <i >In re Nolan W.</i> (2009) 45 Cal.4th 1217,<br />1229.) <a name="SDU_6"></a><a name="sp_999_6"></a><a<br />name="citeas((Cite_as:_2010_WL_2706293,_*6_(Ca"></a> â€œA social services agency is required to make<br />a good faith effort to address the parentâ€™s problems through services, to<br />maintain reasonable contact with the parent during the course of the plan, and<br />to make reasonable efforts to assist the parent in areas where compliance<br />proves difficult.â€  (<i>Katie V. v.<br />Superior Court </i>(2005) 130<br />Cal.App.4th 586, 598.)  â€œHowever, in most<br />cases more services might have been provided and the services provided are<br />often imperfect.â€  (<i >Ibid</i>.)  â€œThe standard is not<br />whether the services provided were the best that might be provided in an ideal<br />world, but whether the services were reasonable under the circumstances.â€  (<i>In re Misako R.</i> (1991) 2 Cal.App.4th<br />538, 547.)  â€œ<a name=SearchTerm></a><a<br />name="SR;3309"></a>The <a name="SR;3310"></a>adequacy<br /><a name="SR;3311"></a>of <a name="SR;3312"></a>reunification <a name="SR;3313"></a>plans<br /><a name="SR;3314"></a>and <a name="SR;3315"></a>the <a name="SR;3316"></a>reasonableness<br /><a name="SR;3317"></a>of [<a name="SR;3318"></a>the <a name="SR;3319"></a>agencyâ€™s]<br /><a name="SR;3320"></a>efforts <a name="SR;3321"></a>are <a name="SR;3322"></a>judged<br /><a name="SR;3323"></a>according <a name="SR;3324"></a>to <a name="SR;3325"></a>the<br /><a name="SR;3326"></a>circumstances <a name="SR;3327"></a>of <a name="SR;3328"></a>each<br /><a name="SR;3329"></a>case.â€  (<a<br />name="SR;3331"></a><i>Amanda H. v. Superior Court</i> (2008) 166 Cal.App.4th<br />1340, 1345.)<br /><br/>            In reviewing a challenge to a<br />juvenile courtâ€™s finding that reunification services were reasonable we look<br />only for substantial evidence.  (<i>In re<br />Alvin R.</i> (2003) 108 Cal.App.4th 962, 971.)  The person challenging the order â€œhas the<br />burden of showing there is no evidence of a sufficiently substantial nature to<br />support the finding or order.â€  (<i>In re<br />Diamond H.</i> (2000) 82 Cal.App.4th 1127, 1135, disapproved on another point<br />in <i>Renee J. v. Superior Court</i> (2001) 26 Cal.4th 735, 748, fn. 6.)<br /><br/>            Department<br />identified motherâ€™s mental health difficulties as one of the problems leading<br />to C.A.â€™s removal.  Mother received<br />psychiatric services while in custody and later through the countyâ€™s mental<br />health department.  Thus, Department<br />reasonably included in the case plan only the requirement that mother take the<br />medications she was prescribed through these services.  There was no need for Department to provide<br />duplicate psychiatric services. <br />Departmentâ€™s plan also required mother to participate in individual<br />therapy and the social worker made the referral to therapist Garcia who worked<br />with mother until mother just stopped going to her appointments.  This is substantial evidence of<br />reasonableness.  Indeed, mother does not<br />say what else Department could have done. <br /><br /><br/>C.    <br />      Services to<br />Arrange for Housing<br /><br/>            Mother<br />argues that Department failed to make referrals for her to find stable<br />housing.  She maintains that absent<br />housing she was in no position to make substantial progress on her case<br />plan.  To the extent that mother claims<br />the case plan as approved by the court at disposition, and again at the<br />six-month review hearing, was unreasonable for its failure to include a plan<br />for stable housing, mother has waived that argument by failing to appeal from<br />those orders when they were made.  In any<br />event, the record shows that the services Department provided were not<br />unreasonable due to the lack of a plan for stable housing.  <br /><br/>            The<br />plan, as designed, addressed mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence,<br />and parenting issues.  There is no<br />dispute that these were the problems that led to the dependency.  These were the problems the social worker<br />felt deserved the most attention.  As the<br />social worker explained, parents can reunify with the children while in living<br />situations other than their own homes. <br />It was the social workerâ€™s opinion that the more important focus was for<br />mother to reach stability in the areas of substance abuse and mental<br />health.  Although mother insists that without<br />housing she did not have a chance at stability in these other areas, the record<br />shows otherwise.  Mother obtained housing<br />on her own in or about February or March 2012, but that did not improve her<br />ability to participate in her case plan. <br />To the contrary, among other things, mother was terminated from the<br />Mariposa program on April 18, 2012, after being abusive to the staff, was<br />terminated from an outpatient drug treatment program on May 7, 2012, for<br />failure to engage in the program, stopped taking her medication and became<br />aggressive with her psychiatrist on May 17, 2012, and was arrested for burglary<br />on June 7.  Indeed, mother had stable<br />housing when she got into the trouble that led to removal of C.A. in the first<br />place.  We conclude that evidence of the<br />gravity of motherâ€™s problems with mental health and substance abuse, coupled<br />with the social workerâ€™s expert opinion that motherâ€™s stability did not turn<br />upon her having a place of her own, is substantial evidence that the services<br />Department offered were reasonable notwithstanding the absence of a housing<br />component.<br /><br/>D.   <br />Sibling Visits<br /><br/>            The<br />juvenile court denied motherâ€™s section 388 petition asking the court to require<br />Department to arrange visitation between C.A. and I.R.  Section 388 allows a parent to petition the<br />juvenile court to change, modify or set aside a previous order if the<br />petitioner can establish that circumstances have changed and the proposed order<br />would be in the best interests of the child. <br />The burden of proof is on the petitioner.  (<i >In re<br />Cliffton B. </i>(2000) 81 Cal.App.4th 415, 423.)  We will reverse the juvenile courtâ€™s<br />determination only if mother can show it was an abuse of discretion.  (<i>In re Casey D. </i>(1999) 70 Cal.App.4th 38, 47.)  <br /><br/>            Department<br />argues that since visitation between the two half-siblings does not adversely<br />affect mother she lacks standing to raise the issue.  Assuming mother has standing, we reject her<br />argument on its merits.  Mother has made<br />no attempt to demonstrate changed circumstances or to show that visitation with<br />I.R. would have been in C.A.â€™s best interests. <br />For most of the course of this case I.R. was either in custody of the<br />juvenile justice system or his whereabouts were unknown.  At the time of trial he was â€œon runaway<br />status.â€  Mother offered no evidence of<br />changed circumstances.  And the only<br />evidence on the point supports the conclusion that visitation would not be in<br />C.A.â€™s best interests.  Both C.A.â€™s<br />therapist and the social worker believed a visit with I.R. would not be a good<br />thing for C.A.  There was no evidence to<br />the contrary.  Accordingly, the trial<br />courtâ€™s decision was not an abuse of discretion.<br /><br clear=all ><br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>III.            <br />Disposition<br /><br/>The petition is denied.<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><u>                                                                        </u><br /><br/>Premo,<br />J.<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/>WE CONCUR:<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><u>                                                                        </u><br /><br/>Rushing, P.J.<br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/> <br /><br/><u>                                                                        </u><br /><br/>Elia, J.<br /><br/> <br /></div><br /><div ><br clear=all><br /><hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><br /><div<br />id=ftn1><br /><br/><a<br />href="#_ftnref1"<br />name="_ftn1" title=""></a>            [1]<br />Hereafter all statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.<br /></div><br /><div<br />id=ftn2><br /><br/><a<br />href="#_ftnref2"<br />name="_ftn2" title=""></a>            [2]<br />C.A.â€™s father had not been part of C.A.â€™s life. <br />He participated in reunification services but the juvenile court<br />terminated services to father at the same time motherâ€™s services were<br />terminated.  C.A.â€™s father does not<br />challenge that order.<br /></div><br /></div><br /></body><br /></html><br />]]></content:encoded>
<comments>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/thread/49883/</comments>   
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<title>P. v. Reyes</title>
<description>Gerardo Reyes appeals from the judgment imposed after a jury convicted him of first degree murder (Pen. Code,  187; undesignated section references are to that code), and found that the murder was committed to prevent the victim from testifying ( 190.2, subd. (a)(1)), and that appellant personally used a firearm ( 12022.5, subd. (a)(1)). Appellant was sentenced to a term of life without possibility of parole, plus four years. He contends that (1) the plea agreement of his co-defendant, under which he testified against appellant, was coercive of that testimony and denied appellant due process and a fair trial; (2) the court erred in allowing an opinion that vouched for the testimony of a prosecution witness; and (3) appellant is entitled to pretrial custody conduct credits. 



We have concluded that appellants codefendants plea agreement was unduly coercive of the content of his testimony, depriving appellant of a fair trial. We accordingly reverse the judgment. We also explain that appellant was entitled to pretrial conduct credits.</description>
<link>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/p-v-reyes-10337.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 May 2007 03:22:51 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/p-v-reyes-10337.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript">  _uacct = "UA-1698443-1"; urchinTracker(); </script>                                                   <br /> <br /> <p></p><br /> <br /> <p><b>P. v. Reyes</b></p><br /> <br /> <p>Filed 4/19/07 P. v. Reyes CA2/8</p><br /> <br /> <p><b>NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS</b></p><br /> <br /> <p>California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts  and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or  ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for  publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115<b>.</b></p><br /> <br /> <p>IN  THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA</p><br /> <br /> <p>SECOND  APPELLATE DISTRICT</p><br /> <br /> <p>DIVISION  EIGHT</p><table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td width=319 valign=top><br /> <br /> <p>THE PEOPLE,</p><br /> <br /> <p> Plaintiff and Respondent,</p><br /> <br /> <p> v.</p><br /> <br /> <p>GERARDO REYES,</p><br /> <br /> <p> Defendant and Appellant.</p></td><td width=319 valign=top><br /> <br /> <p> B186285</p><br /> <br /> <p> (Los Angeles     County</p><br /> <br /> <p> Super. Ct.    No. BA217941)</p></td></tr></table><br /> <br /> <p> APPEAL from  a judgment of the <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">Superior Court of Los  Angeles County</a>.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Larry P. Fidler, Judge.  Reversed.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Ralph H.  Goldsen, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Bill  Lockyer, <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">Attorney</a> General, Mary Jo  Graves, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Pamela C. Hamanaka, Senior Assistant <a  href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">Attorney</a> General, Jaime L. Fuster,  Supervising Deputy Attorney General, and Corey J. Robins, Deputy Attorney  General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.</p><br  clear=all><br /> <br /> <p> Gerardo  Reyes appeals from the judgment imposed after a jury convicted him of <a  href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">first degree murder</a> (Pen. Code,   187; undesignated section references are to that code), and found that  the murder was committed to prevent the victim from testifying ( 190.2,  subd. (a)(1)), and that appellant <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">personally  used a firearm</a> ( 12022.5, subd. (a)(1)). Appellant was sentenced to a  term of life without possibility of parole, plus four years. He contends that (1) the plea agreement of  his co-defendant, under which  he testified against appellant, was coercive of that testimony and denied  appellant due process and a fair trial; (2) the court erred in allowing an  opinion that vouched for the testimony of a prosecution witness; and (3)  appellant is entitled to pretrial custody conduct credits. </p><br /> <br /> <p> We have  concluded that appellants codefendants plea agreement was unduly coercive of  the content of his testimony, depriving appellant of a fair trial. We accordingly reverse the judgment. We also explain that appellant was entitled  to pretrial conduct credits.</p><br /> <br /> <p><b>FACTS</b></p><br /> <br /> <p> Appellant  was convicted at a third trial, during which his co-defendant, George Vidales,  pled guilty and testified against him.  The juries in the first two trials had hung, and the first had acquitted  another co-defendant. As shown by the  evidence, the murder had occurred in the context of the Mexican Mafia, a prison  gang that dominated Hispanic street  gangs, principally by enforcing the payment of <a  href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">taxes</a>, or exactions from narcotics sales  and other criminal activity. The Avenues  gang in <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">Northeast Los Angeles</a> was  involved with the Mexican Mafia, and the Avenues membership included actual  Mafia members, and also associates and subordinate soldiers, which included  appellant and Vidales.</p><br /> <br /> <p> A known  rule of the Mexican Mafia was that cooperation with law enforcement was  punishable by death. The penalty was not  imposed, however, without documentation verifying the violation, referred to as  paperwork. </p><br /> <br /> <p> In August  1995, Los Angeles police  investigated the murder of two brothers, members of the Highland    Park gang.  Officers spoke to Randy Morales, an Avenues member who was in juvenile  hall. He told them that Javier Marquez,  another Avenues member for whom he worked, and who also was a Mexican Mafia  associate and near-member, had shot the brothers and other members of Highland    Park. A copy of  the interview report became part of the murder book, of which Marquezs  prosecutor received two copies, one for defense counsel. The prosecutor did not redact Moraless name,  because redaction had already been made.  The book was turned over to the defense about April 1996. The references to Morales remaining in it  sufficed as paperwork.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Morales,  then age 16, was killed on the night of October   5, 1996. At his request, a  woman friend dropped him off at Drew Street,  a prominent Avenues location, near which he attended a party. According to Vidaless testimony, at the  party appellant and Carlos Caldera, another Avenues-Mexican Mafia individual,  approached him. Caldera asked Vidales  for a favor, and explained about the paperwork and that Marquez wanted Morales  killed, before he could testify against him.  Caldera stated that appellant would be taking care of it. Appellant confirmed this, but stated he  wanted to do it away from Drew Street. Caldera suggested that Vidales speak to  Morales about a .25 caliber handgun Vidales had borrowed and Morales wanted  back, and tell him that they would drive with appellant and Caldera to  Vidaless house to get it. Vidales  actually had the gun with him, and Caldera told him to give it to appellant,  which he did.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Morales  approached Vidales and asked about the gun, and Vidales told him the prescribed  story. Morales said he would go with  them. Vidales reported this to appellant  and Caldera, and appellant said he would get his girlfriends van. He did so,  but told the group he first had to get some food for her. Morales and Vidales accompanied him.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup></a> When they returned to where Caldera was,  appellant left for his girlfriends, and Caldera informed Vidales that in the  interim he had encountered Marvin Ponce, another Avenues member. Caldera had told Ponce  what was impending, and Ponce would  accompany them.</p><br /> <br /> <p> When  appellant returned, he told Vidales to drive.  Appellant sat in the passenger seat, with Caldera, Ponce,  and Morales in the back of the van.  Vidales drove through back streets to a secluded one, where he stopped  and announced he had to urinate. He left  the van and did so. Vidales then saw  Morales, crouched down outside the van, and appellant approaching him. Using Vidaless gun, appellant shot Morales  in the top of the head, then came closer and shot him several more times. Appellant and Vidales resumed their seats in  the van, and Vidales drove to his nearby apartment, where appellant wrapped up  the gun and put it in the buildings dumpster.  The group then returned to Drew Street.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Moraless  body was found by a paramedic at about 11:30   p.m., shortly after a neighbor heard shots and saw a van carrying  four Hispanic men drive away. At the  scene, Los Angeles Police Detective Peterson recovered six cartridge casings  and two expended bullets from the <a  href="http://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/">body</a>s vicinity. Three more bullets were extracted at the  victims autopsy. The detective opined  that the murder weapon was a .25 caliber semiautomatic handgun, while a  firearms analyst found all casings and bullets respectively had been discharged  from a single gun.</p><br /> <br /> <p> The autopsy  disclosed that Morales had suffered five fatal head wounds, and a potentially  fatal one in the mouth. The quantity was  consistent with a Mexican Mafia killing, and the shot to the mouth signified  that the victim was one who had talked too much.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Further  testimony regarding appellants complicity came from Witness No. 1, whose name  (along with several others) the court redacted from the record. An Avenues member and a Mexican Mafia  associate, Witness No. 1 had been convicted of several offenses before his 1999  indictment on federal charges. Facing a  sentence of two life terms, he agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with federal  and state authorities, in exchange for a 42-month sentence, immunity for  numerous crimes, and relocation. Witness  No. 1s informational and testimonial obligations included this case.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Witness No.  1 recounted his encounter with Vidales the night of the shooting. (See <em>ante</em>,  fn. 1.) The next day, Witness No. 1  learned at Richard Aguirres home that Morales had been killed. Soon Witness No. 1 spoke to Vidales, who  claimed he hadnt known Morales was going to be killed. Witness No. 1 then spoke to appellant, on Drew    Street.  During their meeting, appellant kept his hand on a gun in his back  waistband. Witness No. 1 told him he  knew appellant had killed Morales, and appellant admitted he had. He said Morales was a rata and had to go,  and that the order had come from Marquez.</p><br /> <br /> <p> In his  defense, appellant called several witnesses who contradicted various aspects of  Vidales account of the events. Among  them was Witness No. 2, a former Avenues member and Mexican Mafia tax collector  who had cooperated with the prosecution, and whom it had called at appellants  first two trials, but not at this one.  In prior testimony that was read after he invoked his privilege against  self-incrimination, Witness No. 2 recounted different aspects of the offense  that either Vidales had told him, or that he had witnessed when, he claimed, he  was originally solicited to be part of the group to kill Morales. For example, Witness No. 2 testified that  Vidales had told him that only appellant, Vidales, and Morales had driven to  the scene of the shooting, and that Morales had been lured there by being told  they were going to another party.</p><br /> <br /> <p> In  rebuttal, Vidales adhered to several contradicted elements of his account. The prosecution also read part of Witness No.  2s former testimony, particularly concerning how he had left gang activity  after becoming threatened and targeted.</p><br /> <br /> <p><b>DISCUSSION</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><i>1.  Vidaless Plea Agreement.</i></p><br /> <br /> <p> Appellant  contends that a portion of Vidaless plea agreement rendered his testimony  improper, and its admission a deprivation of due process. We first review the context and content of  the agreement.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Facing a  special circumstance sentence if convicted, Vidales approached the prosecution  team after the end of the second trial, in 2004. He had three meetings with Los Angeles Police  detectives. The first did not involve  discussion of the facts of the case, but the second and third did. In the second interview, Vidales consistently  attributed the murder to appellant. But  he also either misstated or understated the truth in several respects,  significantly omitting to name Caldera and Ponce  as participants. Vidales corrected that  omission in his third interview, which the prosecution understood to be  truthful and inclusive.<a href="#_ftn2"  name="_ftnref2" title=""><sup><sup>[2]</sup></sup></a></p><br /> <br /> <p> The  prosecution nevertheless began the third trial with Vidales still a  defendant. However, after Witness No. 1  testified, the prosecutor informed the court that because of Witness No. 1s  poor demeanor on the stand, the prosecution had reached an agreement with  Vidales, whom they perceived as less culpable than appellant, to permit Vidales  to testify.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Vidaless  plea agreement provided, in essence, that he would testify truthfully and  completely at any proceedings concerning Moraless death. In that connection he also would plead guilty  to second degree murder. But if he  performed all his obligations under the agreement, then after the last  proceeding at which he was called to testify, the prosecution would join in a  motion to withdraw the plea, and instead enter a plea to manslaughter, for  which Vidales would receive a six-year midterm sentence. On the other hand, he would be bound to a 15  years to life sentence if he failed to perform all his obligations, and if he  were in violation he could not withdraw his plea without court consent. Vidales would also receive immunity for past  crimes, but not including the killing of Morales, or for perjury or future  crimes.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Near the  end of the agreement was the provision about which appellant complains. As recited by the prosecutor in court,  without the jury present,<a href="#_ftn3"  name="_ftnref3" title=""><sup><sup>[3]</sup></sup></a>it stated: If we discover that you did not  tell us the truth already, that you have already not told us the truth about a  material significant matter in your . . . third interview  at NCCF conducted by Detective[s] . . . you will be in  breach of this agreement and will be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on  your plea today of second degree murder.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Appellants  challenge to this provision, to Vidales testimony, and ultimately to his  conviction, stems from doctrine that the Supreme Court has often restated as  follows: [A] defendant is denied a  fair trial if the prosecutions case depends substantially upon accomplice  testimony and the accomplice witness is placed, either by the prosecution or  the court, under a strong compulsion to testify in a particular fashion. [Citation.]  Thus, when the acccomplice is granted immunity subject to the condition  that his testimony substantially conform to an earlier statement given to  police [citation], or that his testimony result in the defendants conviction  [citation], the accomplices testimony is tainted beyond redemption  [citation] and its admission denies the defendant a fair trial. On the other hand, although there is a  certain degree of compulsion inherent in any plea agreement or grant of  immunity, it is clear that an agreement requiring only that the witness testify  fully and truthfully is valid.  [Citations.] (<i>People v. Allen</i> (1986) 42 Cal.3d 1222,  1251-1252, fn. omitted; see <i>People v.  Medina</i> (1974) 41 Cal.App.3d 438, 449-456.)</p><br /> <br /> <p> Appellant  contends that the interview provision of the plea bargain, quoted above,  placed Vidales under a strong compulsion to testify in accordance with his  third police interview, and thus ran afoul of the foregoing doctrine. We first confront respondents position that  appellant has waived this contention, by not asserting it in the trial  court. Several California Supreme Court  cases have held that failure to challenge at trial testimony under a plea  agreement, by objection, motion, or otherwise, waives the claim for appellate  purposes. (<i>People v. Hillhouse </i>(2002) 27 Cal.4th 469, 489; <i>People v. Riel </i>(2000) 22 Cal.4th 1153,  1178-1179; <em>People v. Sully </em>(1991) 53  Cal.3d 1195, 1216.) However, all of  these cases proceeded to weigh the merits of the objection, sometimes in  response to a present claim of ineffectiveness of counsel in not  objecting. We deem the same appropriate  here. Appellant has declared his  intention to assert a postconviction ineffective assistance claim. We decide the present issue in order to  forestall that subsequent claim. (<i>People v. DeJesus </i>(1995) 38 Cal.App.4th  1, 27.)</p><br /> <br /> <p> The  interview provision of of Vidaless plea agreement poses this problem. Although the remainder of the agreement calls  upon Vidales to testify fully and truthfully, the interview provision  threatens him with loss of his bargain, and a life sentence, if his third  interview is discover[ed] to have been untrue in any material respect. Although the provision does not literally  bind Vidales to testify in accord with his interview, its threat exerts overwhelming  pressure on him to do so  to adhere to his third interview account even if the  truth is otherwise. Although there may  be no conflict between the interview provision and the obligation to testify  truthfully (if the interview was fully truthful), the provision yet pressures  Vidales to testify in accordance with the interview.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Respondent  cites other cases in which the accomplice who pled agreed only to tell the  truth, and in which negligible compulsion was held exerted by other agreements  or circumstances. Examination of some of  these cases proves them distinguishable, and underscores the fault with the  interview provision.</p><br /> <br /> <p> In <i>People v. Sully, supra, </i>53 Cal.3d 1199,  the plea agreement called for truthful testimony, including in response to a  polygraph examination, but also required the witness to pass such an exam  showing she had had no involvement in several deaths. The defendant asserted this provision  compelled the witness so to testify in court.  The Supreme Court disagreed, because the agreement only required  responses to the polygraph, while leaving the witness free to testify as she  desired. (<i>Id.</i> at pp 1216-1217.)  Presently, however, the interview provision directly compelled Vidales  to testify in accord with his third interview, under pain of losing his entire  bargain and suffering a second degree murder sentence.</p><br /> <br /> <p> The <i>Sully </i>court quoted <i>People v. Fields </i>(1983) 35 Cal.3d 329, in which the ageement was  for truthful testimony, but the witness also testified that the deal was for  her to testify in accordance with her interview statement, and if she did not  there would be no more deal. The Supreme  Court first opined that there was not necessarily a conflict, because if the  witnesss police statement was true, her agreement to testify truthfully covered  it. The court then expounded: We  recognize that a witness in Gail Fields position is under some compulsion to  testify in accord with statements given to the police or the prosecution. The district attorney   . . . obviously believed that Gails last statement was a  truthful account, and if she deviated materially from it he might take the  position that she had breached the bargain, and could be prosecuted as a  principal to murder. But despite this  element of compulsion, it is clear, and the cases so hold [citation] that an  agreement which requires only that the witness testify fully and truthfully is  valid . . . . We  believe the requirements of due process . . . are met if  the agreement thus permits the witness to testify freely at trial and to respond  to any claim that he breached the agreement by showing that the testimony he  gave was a full and truthful account. (<i>Id.</i>. at p. 361.)</p><br /> <br /> <p><i>Fields</i>s measure of due process could  not, however, be satisfied by the present agreement. Under it, were Vidales to testify to what he  believed the truth, but not in accord with his third interview, he would be  chargeable with breach of the agreement, despite his affirmation of truth.</p><br /> <br /> <p> In  operation, the plea agreement equated Vidaless third interview with the truth,  so that the complusion to tell one meant adhering to the other. That was plainly demonstrated after Vidales  agreed to each provision of the agreement in open court. Vidales attorney then offered, and the court  accepted as a special exhibit, a copy of the tape recording of the third  interview, which, counsel explained, the prosecutor believed to be a truthful  recitation of the facts. Counsel  presented the exhibit for the courts benefit if the court ever has to make an  assessment or when the court makes an assessment as to whether Mr. Vidales is  testifying truthfully.</p><br /> <br /> <p> In sum, as  a matter of both understanding and compulsion through the terms of the  agreement, to perform the agreement Vidales was bound to testify in conformity  with his third police interview. That  was the version of the truth that was contemplated. Testimony given under this compulsion denied  appellant due process and a fair trial.</p><br /> <br /> <p> The error  cannot be held harmless, as respondent would have it. First, it appears contradictory to deem  harmless a constitutional violation so substantial as to deny a fair  trial. Second, Vidaless testimony was  critical. It was the only percipient  testimony about the murder, and previous efforts to convict appellant without  it had failed. The error in admitting  the testimony was prejudicial, and the judgment must be reversed. In view of this conclusion, we need not  address appellants second contention, regarding certain opinion testimony.</p><br /> <br /> <p><em>2. Presentence Conduct Credit.</em></p><br /> <br /> <p>Because it is not technically  moot, we briefly resolve appellants contention that he was improperly denied  conduct credit for his time in presentence custody. Respondent agrees with appellant that because  the murder occurred on October 5, 1996,  it was not subject to section 2933.2, effective June 3, 1998, which thereafter deprived murder defendants  of presentence conduct credits. Rather,  appellant was entitled to credits of 15 percent of his presentence custody,  under section 2933.1, subdivision (a).</p><br /> <br /> <p></p><br /> <br /> <p><b>DISPOSITION</b></p><br /> <br /> <p> The judgment is reversed.</p><br /> <br /> <h2> NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE  OFFICIAL REPORTS</h2><br /> <br /> <p> COOPER,  P. J.</p><br /> <br /> <p>We concur:</p><br /> <br /> <p> RUBIN,  J. </p><br /> <br /> <p> FLIER,  J.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Publication Courtesy of <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">San  Diego County Legal Resource Directory</a>.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Analysis and review provided by <a  href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">El Cajon Property line Lawyers.</a></p><br clear=all><br /> <br /> <hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><br /> <br /> <p><a href="#_ftnref1"  name="_ftn1" title=""><sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup></a> During this ride, Vidales spoke with  Witness No. 1 (described below), telling him that Morales was going to be  checked, or disciplined, because of paperwork. Witness No. 1 advised him not to participate,  because gang leader Richard Aguirre was close to Morales, and would become  angry if he were killed.</p><br /> <br /> <p><a href="#_ftnref2"  name="_ftn2" title=""><sup><sup>[2]</sup></sup></a> Vidaless  naming of Ponce and Caldera provided the prosecution with  two further potential subjects of prosecution for the murder.</p><br /> <br /> <p><a href="#_ftnref3"  name="_ftn3" title=""><sup><sup>[3]</sup></sup></a> When Vidales later testified before  the jury about the agreement, this provision was not mentioned.</p>                  ]]></content:encoded>
<comments>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/thread/10337/</comments>   
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<title>IN RE: FLORIDA RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE</title>
<description>The Criminal Procedure Rules Committee has filed an out of cycle report of proposed rule amendments in accordance with Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.140(e). 

The Legislature in 2000 passed a law that provided that [n]o person charged with a dangerous crime shall be granted nonmonetary pretrial release at a first appearance hearing. See ch. 2000 178, 2, at 1906, Laws of Fla. (amending section 907.041(4)(b), Fla. Stat. (1999)). The law also repealed Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.131, Pretrial Release, and 3.132, Pretrial Detention. Seeid., 5, at 1909. Five years later, the Court in State v. Raymond, 906 So. 2d 1045 (Fla. 2005), declared the law unconstitutional and temporarily readopted the rules. The Court ordered that the rules be published for comment in light of the legislation. SeeIn re Fla. Rules of Crim. Pro. 3.131 &amp; 3.132, 907 So. 2d 1169 (Fla. 2005). The rules were published in The Florida Bar News, and responses were filed by various entities. At the Courts request, the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (committee) also filed an out of cycle report. The Court subsequently returned the matter to the committee for further consideration in light of the comments, and the committee has now filed a supplemental report proposing amendments to both rules 3.131 and 3.132.

After reviewing the comments and the committees proposals, court adopt the proposals filed by the committee, with the exception noted below. The major substantive changes are discussed below.



</description>
<link>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/in-re-florida-rules-of-criminal-procedure-8928.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Mar 2007 07:02:48 GMT</pubDate>
<guid>https://www.fearnotlaw.com/wsnkb/articles/in-re-florida-rules-of-criminal-procedure-8928.html</guid>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<br /> <br /> <p><strong>IN RE: </strong><strong>FLORIDA</strong><strong> RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p>Supreme Court of Florida</p><br /> <br /> <p>____________</p><br /> <br /> <p>No. SC05-739</p><br /> <br /> <p>____________</p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>IN RE: </strong><strong>FLORIDA</strong><b>  RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>3.131 </strong><strong>AND</strong><b>  3.132.</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>[</strong><b>February   1, 2007</b><strong>]</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p><b><u>CORRECTED  OPINION</u></b></p><br /> <br /> <p>PER CURIAM.</p><br /> <br /> <p> The Criminal Procedure  Rules Committee has filed an out-of-cycle report of proposed rule amendments in  accordance with <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">Florida Rule of Judicial  Administration</a> 2.140(e). We have jurisdiction. <u>See</u> art. V,  2(a),    Fla. Const.</p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p>The Legislature in  2000 passed a law that provided that [n]o person charged with a dangerous  crime shall be granted nonmonetary pretrial release at a <a  href="http://www.sandiegohealthdirectory.com/">first appearance hearing</a>. <u>See</u>  ch. 2000-178,  2, at 1906, Laws of Fla. (amending section 907.041(4)(b), Fla.  Stat. (1999)). The law also repealed Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure  3.131, Pretrial Release, and 3.132, Pretrial Detention. <u>See</u><u>id.</u>,   5, at 1909. Five years later, the Court in <u>State v. Raymond</u>, 906 So.  2d 1045 (Fla. 2005), declared the law unconstitutional and temporarily  readopted the rules. The Court ordered that the rules be published for comment  in light of the legislation. <u>See</u><u>In re </u><u>Fla.</u><u> Rules of Crim.  Pro. 3.131 & 3.132</u>, 907 So. 2d 1169 (Fla. 2005). The rules were  published in <u>The Florida Bar News</u>, and responses were filed by various entities.<a  href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>  At the Courts request, the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee (committee) also  filed an out-of-cycle report. The Court subsequently returned the matter to  the committee for further consideration in light of the comments, and the committee  has now filed a <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">supplemental report</a>  proposing amendments to both rules 3.131 and 3.132.</p><br /> <br /> <p>After reviewing  the comments and the committees proposals, we adopt the proposals filed by the  committee, with the exception noted below. The major substantive changes are  discussed below.</p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>AMENDMENTS</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p> Chapter 2000-178, Laws of  Florida, added new subsection (3)(b) to section 907.041, Florida Statutes (1999):</p><br /> <br /> <p>(b) No person shall be  released on nonmonetary conditions under the supervision of a pretrial release  service, unless the service certifies to the court that it has investigated or  otherwise verified: [various specific circumstances concerning the accuseds  background].</p><br /> <br /> <p>The law also added new subsection (4)(b) to section 907.041:</p><br /> <br /> <p> (b) No person charged with a  dangerous crime shall be granted nonmonetary pretrial release at a first  appearance hearing; however, the court shall retain the discretion to release  an accused on electronic monitoring or on recognizance bond if the findings on  the record of facts and circumstances warrant such a release.</p><br /> <br /> <p>In response to the  above statutory changes, the committee proposes that new subdivision (b)(2) be  added to rule 3.131:</p><br /> <br /> <p> (2) No person charged with a  dangerous crime, as defined in section 907.041(4)(a), Florida Statutes, shall  be granted nonmonetary pretrial release at a first appearance hearing. At a  subsequent hearing, however, a court has the discretion to release an accused  on electronic monitoring, personal recognizance, an unsecured appearance bond,  or any condition the court deems appropriate if the findings on the record of  facts and circumstances warrant such a release.</p><br /> <br /> <p>The committee also proposes that new  subdivision (b)(5) be added to rule 3.131:</p><br /> <br /> <p>(5) If the court is  considering releasing a defendant charged with a dangerous crime on nonmonetary  conditions under the supervision of a pretrial release service, the court must  receive and consider the certification of a pretrial release service, as  provided in section 907.041(3)(b), Florida Statutes.</p><br /> <br /> <p> We note, however, that  the House in its comment to the Court states that the Legislatures main  concern in enacting section 907.041(4)(b) was to delay the release on  nonmonetary conditions under the supervision of <a  href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">pretrial services</a> of a person charged  with a dangerous crime until the <a href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">certification  process</a> required in section 907.041(3)(b) could be completed. In light of  this stated purpose, and in light of the plain language of subsection (3)(b),  we amend subdivision (b)(4) of rule 3.131 to read as follows:</p><br /> <br /> <p>(4) No person charged  with a dangerous crime, as defined in section 907.041(4)(a), Florida Statutes,  shall be released on nonmonetary conditions under the supervision of a pretrial  release service, unless the service certifies to the court that it has  investigated or otherwise verified the conditions set forth in section  907.041(3)(b), Florida Statutes.</p><br /> <br /> <p>We make this change in lieu of the proposals  submitted by the committee, and we note that this amendment is consistent with  the gist of the proposal submitted by the House.</p><br /> <br /> <p> As to rule 3.132, the committee  proposes that subdivision (d) be deleted. The committee points out that this  subdivision is based on former section 907.041(4)(i), Florida Statutes (1999), which  was removed in 2000. <u>See</u> ch. 2000-229,  2, Laws of Fla. In order to render  the rule consistent with the statute, the committee proposes that the rule  should be similarly revised. We approve the committees proposed amendment to  this rule.</p><br /> <br /> <p> Based on the foregoing,  we amend the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure as reflected in the appendix  to this opinion. New language is indicated by underscoring; deletions are  indicated by strike-through type. The amendments shall become effective April 1, 2007.</p><br /> <br /> <p> It is so ordered.</p><br /> <br /> <p>LEWIS, C.J., and WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, QUINCE, CANTERO,  and BELL, JJ., concur.</p><br /> <br /> <p>NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND  IF FILED, DETERMINED.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Original Proceeding  Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure</p><br /> <br /> <p>William C. Vose, Chair, The Florida Bar Criminal Procedure  Rules Committee, Orlando, Florida; George E. Tragos, Past Chair, The Florida  Bar Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Clearwater, Florida; and John F.  Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,</p><br /> <br /> <p> for Petitioner<br><br></p><br /> <br /> <p>Bart Schneider, Lake Mary, Florida; Howard H. Babb, Jr., President,  Florida Public Defender Association, Inc., and John Eddy Morrison, Assistant  Public Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, Florida; Nancy Daniels,  Public Defender, Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, Florida; Paula S. Saunders,  Office of the Public Defender, Tallahassee, Florida, and Michael Ufferman,  Michael Ufferman Law Firm, P.A., Tallahassee, Florida, Co-Chairs, The Florida  Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Amicus Curiae Committee; the Honorable  Robert L. Doyel, Circuit Judge, Tenth Judicial Circuit, Wauchula, Florida;  Tiffany Carr, Executive Director, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence,  Tallahassee, Florida; David De La Paz, Council Director, The Florida House of  Representatives Justice Council, Tallahassee, Florida; the Honorable Amy Karan,  Administrative Judge, Domestic Violence Division, Eleventh Judicial Circuit,  Miami, Florida,</p><br /> <br /> <p> Responding with comments<br clear=all></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>APPENDIX</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>RULE 3.131. PRETRIAL RELEASE</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p><b>(a)  [No  change]</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><b>(b) Hearing  at First AppearanceConditions of Release.</b></p><br /> <br /> <p>(1) Unless the state has filed  a motion for pretrial detention pursuant to rule 3.132, the court shall conduct  a hearing to determine pretrial release. For the purpose of this rule, bail is  defined as any of the forms of release stated below. <u>Except as otherwise  provided by this rule,</u><s>T</s><u>t</u>here is a presumption in favor of  release on nonmonetary conditions for any person who is granted pretrial  release. The judicial officer shall impose the first of the following  conditions of release that will reasonably protect the community from risk of  physical harm to persons, assure the presence of the accused at trial, or  assure the integrity of the judicial process; or, if no single condition gives  that assurance, shall impose any combination of the following conditions:</p><br /> <br /> <p>(A) personal  recognizance of the defendant;</p><br /> <br /> <p>(B) execution  of an unsecured appearance bond in an amount specified by the judge;</p><br /> <br /> <p>(C) placement  of restrictions on the travel, association, or place of abode of the defendant  during the period of release;</p><br /> <br /> <p>(D) placement  of the defendant in the custody of a designated person or organization agreeing  to supervise the defendant;</p><br /> <br /> <p>(E) execution  of a bail bond with sufficient solvent sureties, or the deposit of cash in lieu  thereof; provided, however, that any criminal defendant who is required to meet  monetary bail or bail with any monetary component may satisfy the bail by  providing an appearance bond; or</p><br /> <br /> <p>(F) any other  condition deemed reasonably necessary to assure appearance as required,  including a condition requiring that the person return to custody after  specified hours.</p><br /> <br /> <p>(2) The judge shall at the  defendant's first appearance consider all available relevant factors to  determine what form of release is necessary to assure the defendant's appearance.  If a monetary bail is required, the judge shall determine the amount.</p><br /> <br /> <p>(3) In determining whether to  release a defendant on bail or other conditions, and what that bail or those  conditions may be, the court may consider the nature and circumstances of the  offense charged and the penalty provided by law; the weight of the evidence  against the defendant; the defendant's family ties, length of residence in the  community, employment history, financial resources, and mental condition; the  defendant's past and present conduct, including any record of convictions,  previous flight to avoid prosecution, or failure to appear at court  proceedings; the nature and probability of danger that the defendant's release  poses to the community; the source of funds used to post bail; whether the  defendant is already on release pending resolution of another criminal  proceeding or is on probation, parole, or other release pending completion of  sentence; and any other facts the court considers relevant.</p><br /> <br /> <p><u>(4) No person charged with a  dangerous crime, as defined in section 907.041(4)(a), </u><u>Florida</u><u>  Statutes, shall be released on nonmonetary conditions under the supervision of  a pretrial release service, unless the service certifies to the court that it  has investigated or otherwise verified the conditions set forth in section  907.041(3)(b), </u><u>Florida</u><u> Statutes.</u></p><br /> <br /> <p><s>(4)</s><u>(5)</u> All  information provided by a defendant in connection with any application for or  attempt to secure bail, to any court, court personnel, or individual soliciting  or recording such information for the purpose of evaluating eligibility for or  securing bail for the defendant, under circumstances such that the defendant  knew or should have known that the information was to be used in connection  with an application for bail, shall be accurate, truthful, and complete,  without omissions, to the best knowledge of the defendant. Failure to comply  with the provisions of this subdivision may result in the revocation or  modification of bail. However, no defendant shall be compelled to provide  information regarding his or her criminal record.</p><br /> <br /> <p><s>(5)</s><u>(6)</u> Information  stated in, or offered in connection with, any order entered pursuant to this  rule need not strictly conform to the rules of evidence.</p><br /> <br /> <p><b>(c)  (l)   [No  change]</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong>RULE 3.132. PRETRIAL DETENTION</strong></p><br /> <br /> <p><b>(a) Motion Filed at First  Appearance. </b>A person arrested for an offense for which detention may be  ordered under section 907.041, Florida Statutes, shall be taken before a  judicial officer for a first appearance within 24 hours of arrest. The state  may file with the judicial officer at first appearance a motion seeking  pretrial detention, signed by the state attorney or an assistant, setting forth  with particularity the grounds and the essential facts on which pretrial  detention is sought and certifying that the state attorney has received  testimony under oath supporting the grounds and the essential facts alleged in  the motion. If no such motion is filed, or the motion is facially insufficient,  the judicial officer shall proceed to determine the conditions of release  pursuant to the provisions of rule 3.131(b)<s>(1)</s>. If the motion for  pretrial detention is facially sufficient, the judicial officer shall proceed  to determine whether there is probable cause that the person committed the  offense. If probable cause is found, the person may be detained in custody  pending a final hearing on pretrial detention. If probable cause is established  after first appearance pursuant to the provisions of rule 3.133 and the person  has been released from custody, the person may be recommitted to custody  pending a final hearing on pretrial detention.</p><br /> <br /> <p><b>(b)  (c)  [No  change]</b></p><br /> <br /> <p><strong><s>(d) Length of Detention. </s></strong><s>If  ordered detained pending trial pursuant to section 907.041(4)(b), Florida  Statutes, the defendant may not be held more than 90 days. Failure of the state  to bring the defendant to trial within that time shall result in the  defendant's release from detention subject to any conditions of release, unless  the trial delay was requested or caused by the defendant or the defendant's  counsel</s>.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Publication Courtesy of <a href="http://www.fearnotlaw.com/">San  Diego County Legal Resource Directory</a>.</p><br /> <br /> <p>Analysis and review provided by <a  href="http://www.mcmillanlaw.us/">San Diego County Property line attorney.</a></p><br clear=all><br /> <br /> <hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><br /> <br /> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""></a> [1].  Comments were filed by the following entities: the Justice Council of the  Florida House of Representatives (House); the Florida Public Defender  Association, Inc.; the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; the  Public Defender, Second Circuit; Circuit Judge Robert Doyel; Tiffany Carr,  Executive Director, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Administrative  Judge Amy Karan; and Bart Schneider.</p>                  ]]></content:encoded>
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